Deck the Halls

For other uses, see Deck the Halls (disambiguation).

"Deck the Halls" (original English title: "Deck the Hall") is a traditional Yuletide/Christmas and New Years' carol. The "fa-la-la" refrains were probably originally played on the harp. The tune is Welsh dating back to the sixteenth century, and belongs to a winter carol, Nos Galan. In the eighteenth century Mozart used the tune to "Deck the Halls" for a violin and piano duet.^{[dubious – discuss]} The repeated "fa la la" is from medieval ballads and used in Nos Galan, the remaining lyrics are American in origin dating from the nineteenth century.^[1][2]

Lyrics

Note that the lines of the first two versions were not exclusive of one another and were often interchanged without preference. Various other versions remove or replace certain Fa la la lines with harp melodies. Sometimes the third, "New Year", version is a follow up.

Popular version "Deck the Halls" Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Don we now our gay apparel' Fa la la, la la la, la la la. Troll the ancient Yule tide carol, Fa la la la la, la la la la. See the blazing Yule before us, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Strike the harp and join the chorus. Fa la la la la, la la la la. Follow me in merry measure, Fa la la, la la la, la la la. While I tell of Yuletide treasure, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Sing we joyous, all together, Fa la la, la la la, la la la. Heedless of the wind and weather, Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Alternate version "Deck the Hall" Deck the hall with bells and holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Don we now our bright apparel, Fa la la la, fa la la la. Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. See the blazing Yule before us, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Strike the harp and join the chorus. Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Follow me in merry measure, Fa la la la, fa la la la. While I tell of yuletide treasure, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Laughing, quaffing, all together Fa la la la, fa la la la. Heedless of the wind and weather, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Note: in this version the third line of "Fa la la" is sometimes interpreted as "Fa, la la la, fa la la la" (Refer to Carols for Choirs 3)

Welsh Translation "New Year's Eve" or "Cold is the Man" Cold is the man who can't love, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, The old mountains of dear Wales, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, To him and his warmest friend, Fa la, Fa la, fa la la, A cheerful holiday next year, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. To the troubled, cold are the bills, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, Which come during the holidays, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, Listening to a sermon in one verse, Ffa la, Ffa la, fa la la, Spending more than you earn, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Cold is the fire on Mount Snowdon, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, Even though it has a flannel blanket on it, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, Cold are the people who don't care, Ffa la, Ffa la, fa la la, To meet together on New Year's Eve, Fa la la la la, fa la la la.

History

The tune is that of an old Welsh air, first found in a musical manuscript by Welsh harpist John Parry Ddall (c. 1710–1782), but undoubtedly much older than that. The composition is still popular as a dance tune in Wales, and was published in the 1784 and 1794 editions of the harpist Edward Jones's Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards. Poet John Ceiriog Hughes wrote the first published lyrics for the piece in Welsh, titling it "Nos Galan" ("New Year's Eve"). A middle verse was later added by folk singers. In the eighteenth century the tune spread widely, with Mozart using it in a piano and violin concerto^[3] and, later, Haydn in the song "New Year's Night."

Originally, carols were dances and not songs. The accompanying tune would have been used as a setting for any verses of appropriate metre. Singers would compete with each other, verse for verse — known as canu penillion dull y De ("singing verses in the southern style"). The church actively opposed these folk dances. Consequently, tunes originally used to accompany carols became separated from the original dances, but were still referred to as "carols". The popular English lyrics for this carol are not a translation from the Welsh. The connection with dancing is made explicit in the English lyrics by the phrase "follow me in merry measure" as "measure" is a synonym for dance. A collection of such sixteenth and seventeenth century dances danced at the Inns of Court in London are called the Old Measures. Dancing itself having been previously suppressed by the church was revived during the renaissance beginning in fifteenth century Italy .

During the Victorian re-invention of Christmas it was turned into a traditional English Christmas song. The first English language version appeared in The Franklin Square Song Collection, edited by J.P.McCaskey in 1881 and published by Harper & Brothers in New York City. See here for a more detailed summary of what various sources say about its history.

Charles Wood arranged a version, the words from Talhaiarn; translated by T. Oliphant. Oliphant died in 1873 and the first English version of 1881 is attributed to him.

SHeDAISY version

"Deck the Halls"
Single by SHeDAISY
from the album Brand New Year
Released	November 9, 1999
Genre	Country, pop
Length	3:50
Label	Lyric Street
Producer	Dann Huff

An adaptation of "Deck the Halls" was recorded by country music group SHeDAISY that was made for their Christmas studio album Brand New Year and was featured in the Disney animated film Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas. The music video features scenes of the movie. The single was released on November 9, 1999.

Chart performance

Chart (2005-2006)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs	37
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	61

Other

The characters in the comic strip Pogo traditionally sang this song at Christmas, using nonsense lyrics, "Deck us all with Boston Charlie", and so on.

In parts of Canada it is common for children to sing ``Deck the halls with poison ivy``, a playground song based on Deck the Halls.

References

1. ^ Christmas-lyrics.org
2. ^ Carols.org
3. ^ "Christmas carols -- William Studwell's Christmas Carols of the Year series - chicagotribune.com". The Chicago Tribune (Tribune Newspapers). 2010. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-christmas-carols-2010,0,7214872.htmlpage. Retrieved 2011-10-08. 

• Pages 159-160 in Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards, Edward Jones: London, Printed for the Author, 1794. Available on Google Digital

External links

• Free scores of Deck the Hall in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Free sheet music of Deck the Hall for SATB from Cantorion.org
• Musicanet.org