Music by Franz Xaver Gruber, Lyrics by Joseph Mohr; Arranged by Elena Fortin
Our family relocated to the South just before Christmas and I was sitting at the piano feeling homesick and missing snow! I love our new place, but it seems really strange to be seeing Christmas decorations going up in December and green everywhere!! I thought I would get in the mood for holiday celebrations by sitting down and playing old Christmas favourites.
Silent Night is one of those beautiful carols where the peace and spirit of the season just settle in your heart. As I sat and played, the arrangement formed itself in my mind and in my fingers. I worked backwards on this arrangement–normally I sit down with an outline of the music in mind and work from there.
This time, I let my fingers wander (luckily I was recording!) and then transcribed my own arrangement.
About the arrangement
This arrangement explores some different harmonies in the intro and the outro. The verse and chorus are repeated four times in this arrangement. The first verse sticks pretty close to the original, with some suspensions and interesting rhythms thrown in to keep it interesting.
The second verse introduces several countermelodies and different right hand harmonies. The third verse is a sweet melody in the treble register of the piano. The final verse is an improvisation based on the harmonic structure of the verse and chorus.
I hope you enjoy this arrangement and that playing and learning it brings you peace and joy during the holiday season.
Video Performance
Purchase Information
Clicking on the link below will bring you to a new site: Sheet Music Plus. Silent Night is in the public domain, but this arrangement is under copyright by Elena Fortin Music.
Sheet Music Plus – Silent Night
Sheet Music Sample
