Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
I began studying Spanish during the 1997-98 school year, when I was 12. “Las Estaciones” (The Seasons) is the first song I ever wrote, in Spanish or otherwise. The original was on keyboard, with a salsa beat. It has lyrics, but a cold is keeping me from singing today. This arrangement on ukulele and alto recorder sounds more like bluegrass, but it’s a fun song. I hope you enjoy this blast from the past!
This hymn was written by Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748). It was first published in 1707 and is still popular today, especially for evangelism.
I hope you enjoy this arrangement, played on viola and alto recorder, with ukulele accompaniment!
Download “All Things Bright and Beautiful” Mp3
Here are 2 musical settings for the hymn, “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” If you live in the United States, you’re probably most familiar with the first one, composed by William Monk. If you live in the United Kingdom, you probably know “Royal Oak,” the traditional melody for the second setting.
I hope you enjoy hearing these tunes on Oriole (soprano) and alto recorder (which plays the verses of “Royal Oak”), with ukulele accompaniment!
Download “Lament for Kilcash” Mp3
This is a beautiful Irish air, written in the early 1700’s. My arrangement is played on ukulele, Oriole (soprano) recorder, alto recorder, and ends as a recorder trio with the soprano part, 2 alto parts, and continued ukulele accompaniment.
I hope you enjoy it!
This is a piece I wrote for one of Sue Vincent’s #Writephoto prompts
last May. I didn’t sing it at the time, but posted a meditation
version on lyre. You can listen to or download that
here.
This version has vocals, accompanied by ukulele. There’s also a viola
part, melody on alto recorder, and an alto recorder duet.
I hope you enjoy this arrangement!
Download “I’ve Got Peace like a River” Mp3
“(I’ve Got) Peace like a River” is a much loved African-American spiritual. It compares peace to a river, joy to a fountain, and love to an ocean. With its simple, repetitive lyrics and catchy melody, it’s an easy sing-along song. In fact, I remember doing just that as a child, singing around many campfires. I even played ukulele more than once to accompany the group!
I hope you enjoy “Peace like a River” on ukulele, viola, alto recorder, and lyre!
This English folk song is often known as “The Riddle Song.” However, it is just one of many such riddle songs, often sung as lullabies or ballads. It has become popular throughout the English-speaking world, since its possible 16th-century origin. According to
Song Facts,
some sources claim there are hidden messages in the lyrics, but there is no such mystery. At the end of the day, it’s a simple folk song, though it can indeed be a hypnotic melody.
I hope you enjoy this arrangement with a verse on ukulele and viola, one on ukulele and alto recorder, and 2 lyre verses in the middle!
Not to be confused with Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” a classical piece I love, this one is an 18th-century French folk song. The title literally means “By the Light of the Moon.” Its author is unknown, but the melody reigns supreme when anyone learns a musical instrument. In fact, it was one of the first songs I learned to play when I took violin lessons.
Today you’re hearing alto recorder, viola rather than violin, and Oriole soprano recorder, accompanied by ukulele. I hope you enjoy this catchy melody!
Here is a traditional Scottish folk song, so well known that most of us have heard it. I heard it as a child and wondered who Bonnie was. Well, Bonnie may refer to “Bonnie Prince Charlie,” but it may have other meanings as well. The song’s origin is unclear, but it remains popular in Western culture and even as a children’s song, much to my delight.
My arrangement contains viola and alto recorder, with ukulele accompaniment. I hope you enjoy it!
Annie Hawks wrote the poem, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” in 1872. Her pastor, Dr. Robert Lowry, wrote the refrain and the music. Though Annie Hawks wrote over 400 hymn texts, this is the only one continually published and sung today.
I hope you enjoy this arrangement with ukulele, viola, and alto recorder!
