Time to dust off the Christmas music and give it a few spins....

This is my "heavy version" of this timeless Christmas classic.


I play the guitars and the piano parts..... everything else is my "studio band"....


GREEN SLEEVES

Enjoy in the spirit of the season..... more to come...

A timeless classic indeed - great job Herb!

Bob

A lot to like about this. Nice arrangement, loved the two guitars. Great arrangement and production.

Charlie

Herb, I am sure you posted this before and I like it just as much if not more this time around. Great guitar work and a great mix. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Tom

Bob, Charlie, and Tommy,

Yes, I did post this last year. I figure it's that time of the year and we have some new folks here since then and ....well.... it's a great classic song.... so, why not?

Just trying to get the season rolling along..... there will be more in the next 2 weeks..... I might even have a new one in that mix.... if I can nail down the details on it and get the time to work on it.

Hi Herb,

same comment as on 12/06/2013.

Guenter

This adaptation of the melody as a Christmas carol is usually titled "WHAT CHILD IS THIS?", not GREENSLEEVES... but I'm thinking your version should be titled "lo que es este niño ?"

Most Christmas carols have a bunch of verses and the same relentless melody, so it can be a real challenge to keep it interesting throughout. In this version you accomplished that by starting out simple then ramping it up with variations on the theme. I'm kinda glad you didn't modulate.. that's become the defacto overused method of trying to keep long Christmas Carols interesting. (and it doesn't work for me anymore)

From a visual perspective, as this song starts I imagine Santa and a couple of grungy looking elves riding across the prairie on saddled reindeer with the sun setting behind them. The elves have ammunition belts criss-crossed on their chests, but instead of bullets, they're stuffed with candy canes. Dirty faces peer out windows as the trio rides through town, only to stop at the most run down shack on the outskirts of town. Santa squints and chews the end off a candy cane as he drops a sack full of unknown stuff in the dusty street in front of their shack.

Twelve dirty little kids spill out of the weather beaten adobe, and their mother weeps grateful tears that make clean streaks as they run down her dusty face. Santa sees her lurking behind a broken window, and tips his red sombrero to her with a smile. The woman notices candy cane in his beard and is somewhat offended by that, but she isn't in a position to be critical. Nevertheless it really bugs her.

As the trio rides off into the sunset, Santa turns briefly to wink at the kids. The kids look at their mother to see if it's OK to let the creepy old guy give them gifts. She nods a quiet "yes" as she makes the mandatory phone call to the border patrol.
-------------

Sorry for the goofy story, but once I got started I couldn't stop. ;-(



(AWESOME carol Herb! you always do your topic proud!)

If it were Greensleeves......Steven Foster would be proud.....but it sounds like What Child is this.....

Hi, Herb .....and a Merry Christmas to you !:))


I like the way you performed this old
classic ! :)) Really nice playing !:))


Cheers
Dani

Never tire of hearing this song. Remember as a ten year old playing this on a clarinet. Well done. Love the tone of your guitar... The harmony of the two instruments very cool

Nicely done!! Always love to hear Xmas music. My radio stays tuned to an all Xmas station from Black Friday through Xmas day. Beautiful guitar work-you'r no hacker!! THanks for posting. Take care. Greg

I'm glad you reposted it. Absolutely beautiful version. Enjoyed hearing it again.

Josie

Hi Herb,

What a brilliant arrangement and superb mix! I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. Like others before, I'm glad you (re)posted this one

Regards,
Noel

Beautiful old melody and tastefully done. Cheers.

I saw Jeff Beck play his acoustic version live many many years ago (40+) and nothing will ever beat that. Sorry

At school we were told that Henry V111 of England wrote this for one of his wives, Anne Boleyn I believe and I thought that was true for many years, but it has since been disproved.

Whoever wrote it, thank you, as it is a beautiful tune.

I remember this post from before and still like this version.

Alyn

So many to thank for listening.....

Let me just say, "THANK YOU ALL for listening again."

I enjoy being a part of this musical community. You are all so gracious.

Very cool arrangement of this song. Nice
harmonies.

Used to play this during my bluegrass
years.

Merry Christmas!

J&B