A Christmas Carol in Three Voices   Download the arrangement here O, Little Town of Bethlehem has remained a perennially favorite Christmas carol of musicians and listeners since it was written in 1868.  The music was composed by church organist Lewis Redner to support a poem written by Episcopal priest Philips Brooks.  Brooks’ visit to Bethlehem in1865 inspired him to write the poem we know as the lyrics to  O, Little Town of Bethlehem.   The Render melody is the tune most frequently heard in the U.S.A.  In England the poem is usually sung to the folk tune Forest Green that was adapted by Ralph Vaughan Williams.  This article will explain eight steps to create a three-part arrangement of O, Little Town of Bethlehem using the Redner melody. 1.  Select the voices The arrangement is for a trio consisting of lead hammer dulcimer, bowed dulcimer playing a bass line and hammered mbira playing an arpeggio.  Each of these instruments brings its own limitations of range and performance.  These boundaries constrain the arrangement and guide musical decisions including key signature.  As it turns out, the three parts work for nearly any combination of string instruments.  Moreover, the procedure used to create the arrangement works for any ensemble. 2.  Set the Key Signature The lead hammer dulcimer could play the melody in the keys of F, C, G, D, A and perhaps E.  But on most hammer dulcimers the melody would sound best in the keys of C, G and D.  The lowest tone on a bowed dulcimer is D3.  That’s the D an octave below middle C.  It’s generally the lowest bass bridge tone on 15/16 dulcimers. Although fully chromatic, the bowed dulcimer is best suited for the keys of G and D.  The hammered mbira has a range that is roughly the same as a 12/11 hammer dulcimer.  It could play in keys of D and G.  But G is best because it keeps the arpeggio out of the low range which can sound muddy during fast passages.  Specific instrumental voices guide the selection of the Key signature.  Choose what brings out the best in the ensemble that will perform the piece.  For this ensemble of voices, the key of G works best. 3.  Write the melody This may sound like a trivial step.  But, it is vital.  Write the melody out with pencil and staff paper or mouse it into a computer.  This act will ensure you are using the correct melody and will give you time to examine the interesting contours and surprises that a melody may have.  In the case of  O, Little Town of Bethlehem the melodic line strays from the diatonic scale in several places.  These diversions from the expected give the tune its character.  Writing out the melody exposes these defining moments and prepares the way to choose the chords.

4.  Choose the chords Start with the usual pallet of diatonic chords using the table below.  Each melody tone that is part of the diatonic scale can be supported by one of three chord choices.  If you aren’t immediately familiar with how to choose chords, spend some time with the section on fitting chords to melodies.  http://www.billtroxler.citymax.com/fittingchords.html Measures 5, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 19 have melody or potential harmony tones that are not in the diatonic scale.  It is possible to treat these moments as “passing tones” and not make any chord changes. But that decision robs the melody of much of its character.  The third beat tone of measure 5 is an A#.  To select a supporting chord decide what triads use A#.  Remember A# is enharmonic with Bb.  That is, A# and Bb sound the same.  What we call the tone depends upon the key in which it is played. The A# or Bb tone is found in these chords: •    F# major (F# A# C#)  and its enharmonic companion, the Gb major (Gb Bb Db) •    A# major  (A # C## E# ) and its enharmonic companion, the  Bb chord (Bb D F) •    D# chord (D# F## and A#) and its enharmonic companion, the Eb chord (Eb G Bb) •    G minor chord (G Bb D)                                                          And so forth…….. For the tonality of this melody, two choices stand out.  Either G minor or F# works.  But F# is the more powerful of the two.  Its power derives from the position of F# in the diatonic scale of G.  The seventh tone of a diatonic scale is called the “leading tone”.  In solfege the seventh tone is ti.  No matter what it is called the tone produces an extreme feeling of tension and begs for resolution to the I or do tone.  So, for this one beat it is not just possible, but very good to jump outside the constellation of diatonic chords and select the F# major chord for this one beat.  The next chord choices out of the diatonic population are the E and E7 chords in measure 9.   These choices lead into the A minor chord of measure 10.  The E chord was selected because it is the dominant chord, or V chord, for A minor.  It leads powerfully to the A minor chord and is a dramatic departure from the palette of diatonic chords in G.  A minor is the target and the E chord gets to it dramatically. The next unusual chord choices appear in measures 13 through 16. These points stand out about this brief passage: •    The tonal center of measures 14 through 16 is E minor •    The melody line of measure 13 is a descending scale ending on F# in measure 14 •    The melody line of measure 15 is a rising scale beginning on E and ending with B in measure 16 •    The contour of the falling then rising scale within the E minor tonality establishes the high point of tension in the melody.  This is an appropriate place for profound-sound chords. The strongest relationship among chords is always dominant to tonic or V to I.  Once this four measure phrase is recognized as an E minor tonality, the B major chord becomes a logical choice for measures 14 and 16.  The thought process is identical to the one used in measure 9 that selected the E and E7 chords to support the A minor chord of measure 10.  Always trust the powerful relationship between the V and the I chord. Use the circle of 5ths as a guide to visualize the powerful chord relationships that exist outside of the population of diatonic chords.  Follow the root movement among 5ths to discover strong chord progressions outside of the population of diatonic chords.  For example in the key of G, an A major chord may be used and followed by a D major chord.  A is the 5th of D.  The D chord is the 5th of G. That harmonic movement from G to A to D and back to G provides a powerful trip, first away from the tonal center, and then strongly back to it.  The same analysis applies to the relative minor of G.  In this case E minor is the tonal center and its dominant chord is B. Beat four of measure 13 employs a C# diminished chord (C# E G).  This chord was selected for two reasons.  C# is the tritone of G.  Six half tones precede and follow this tone on a chromatic G scale.  The tritone is the maximum tension interval on the G scale.  Since the melody tone is G, a C# diminished chord is a good choice if the goal is to create tension.  C# is also the major 2nd interval on a B scale.  In that context it has great tension and seeks resolution to B.  So the C# diminished chord acts like a pivot.  It sets up tension in the G tonality and maintains tension into what seems to be a key shift into the key of B.  The C# diminished is reprised in measure 19 as a transitional device to get to the D chord leading into the final measure.

5.  Write the bass line Bass lines accomplish two tasks.  They anchor the harmonic fabric of a piece and help to move the music both rhythmically and harmonically.  The bass line uses tones from the chords and scales to move the music from one point to another.  Measures 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 19 are points during which the bass line helps to move the music along.   If you examine the bass line in this carol   you will find a lot of scales and movement from root to fifth.  In the process of arranging music, the melody line is written first, then the bass line, then the interior harmony lines.  When writing the bass line, a general rule of thumb is to move in the opposite direction of the melody line.  If the melody line descends, the bass line should probably rise. An excellent, short, readable resource on how to write voices is The Study of Counterpoint from Johann Joseph Fux work Gradus Ad Parnassum.  Don’t let the Latin title put you off.  The English translation is about one hundred and forty pages.  This is the manual that Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven used as a text book.  It worked well for them and will for you too. 6.  Write the harmony for the lead instrument The interior voices are written to make the performance pleasing to the ear.  In the case of a Christmas carol, that means pretty and compelling.  Choose harmony tones that are within the chord structure and lie under the melody and above the bass line.  Give consideration to how easily these harmonies can be performed.  What works easily on a hammer dulcimer could be a difficult stretch on a mountain dulcimer.  Be careful not to overdo the harmonies.  Too much clutters the music.  Avoid always putting a rolled or strummed chord on the first and third beats of every measure.  Make the harmonies more interesting than predictable.

7.  Write the arpeggio The arpeggio line is, for the most part, the chord members set out as sequential eighth notes.  Do take pity on the performer and think about how demanding the lines may be to play on an instrument.  Theory may suggest a good line.  Execution on a particular instrument may argue for easier note choices.  The purpose of the arpeggio is to establish the harmonic tapestry of the piece.  There is a great deal of flexibility in which chord tones are used. 8.  Set the tempo. O, Little Town of Bethlehem is performed over a wide range of tempos.  In some churches organists treat the carol almost like a march that trucks along at 120 beats per minute.  Some solo performers play it as though it was a dirge and drag through it at a ponderous 60 beats per minute.  The tempo choice was determined by two factors.  First, I wanted an expressive setting.  That means a slow to moderate pace.  Second, a fast tempo would turn the arpeggio component of the arrangement into a bluegrass banjo line and destroy the setting of this arrangement.  I settled on a tempo of 85 beats per minute.  At this pace the melody is clear, there is time for the lead performer to be expressive and the arpeggio is appropriately supportive of the melody. This eight step process will work for any Christmas carol.  In fact it works for nearly any music played on dulcimers Download the arrangement here