The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
When I began working on this arrangement, I wanted the song to be pretty, but also portray the emotions and excitement we would feel for the coming of our Savior. In the middle of the song you will hear the melody from Joy to the World. As you move toward the middle and end of the song, I’ve integrated more of a marching sound, meant to give reference to the fact that the work continues to move forward. On the last verse, I slow down the melody and go into the higher octaves. For the final verse, I pictured someone who was engaged in the work of the Lord but the time had come to move on to the next phase in their life. The emotions I wanted to portray at the end of the song were of those who were left behind to continue the work.
We live in an exciting time, and our possibilities are endless. Be sure to take advantage of the opportunities you have to learn, grow, develop and enjoy life. However, be sure you make time for those things that are most important in the eternities as well.
Composed by: Anon.
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: D Voicing: Piano Solo Duration: Approx. 5:15
Price:$6.95
Away in a Manger-Jesus Once of Humble Birth (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
Away in a Manger-Jesus Once of Humble Birth (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: C Voicing: Piano Solo
Price:$6.95
Beautiful Savior (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
Beautiful Savior (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
Beautiful Savior – arr. Jason Tonioli
Of all the traditional Hymns that refer to the Savior, I felt like this one captured the Christmas Spirit. I included this in this Christmas book because it has always reminded me of a lullaby you would sing to a baby. What better way to recognize the baby Jesus, than with this music that was written for Him.
This song is also entitled “Fairest Lord Jesus.” The music and lyrics were written by German Jesuits in the 17th Century and is known as a Silesian folk song. The version most people are familiar with was arranged by Richard S. Willis in 1850.
The music for this song is an Irish folk song entitled, “Slane”. David Evans combined the old Irish text written in the 6th century with the folk melody and it was first published in the 1927 edition of the Church of Scotland’s Hymnary. It is now sung in churches around the world and is widely known as “Be Thou My Vision.”
A popular arrangement of this melody has been performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in which they combine the folk melody Slane, with the text “Take Time to be Holy” which was written by William D. Longstaff.
I decided to include this arrangement in this Christmas book because even though it may not be considered a traditional Christmas carol, the message of a Savior in this song is clear and is certainly fitting for the Christmas Season.
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: F Voicing: Piano Solo
Price:$6.95
Coventry Carol (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
Coventry Carol (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
Coventry Carol – arr. Jason Tonioli
The “Coventry Carol” is a Christmas carol dating back to the 16th century. The carol was performed in the city of Coventry, England as part of a mystery play called “The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors.” The play depicted the Christmas story from chapter two in the Gospel of Matthew. This carol refers to the Massacre of the Innocents, in which Herod ordered all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be killed. The lyrics of this haunting carol represent a mother’s lament for her doomed child. This is the only carol that has survived from this play.
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: g minor Voicing: Piano Solo
Price:$6.95
Deck the Halls (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
Deck the Halls (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
Deck the Halls – arr. Jason Tonioli
“Deck the Halls” is a traditional Yuletide and New Years’ carol. The tune is Welsh, dating back to the sixteenth century, and belongs to a winter carol titled “Nos Galan”. In the eighteenth century, Mozart used the tune for a violin and piano duet. My first introduction to this song came as a kid when I saw the movie “A Christmas Story” and the Chinese Restaurant food servers entertained their guests by singing an out of tune “Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra” to the family in the movie.
I remember thinking this was the funniest thing I had ever heard as a kid.
When I started this arrangement, I wanted to come up with something that was fun and showy to play. I ended up combining the rhythm from my arrangement of Called to Serve. It seemed to fit welll, and this is now one of my favorite pieces to perform during the holidays. Have fun with it, and don’t hesitate to add a few extra notes or jazz it up even more when you play it!
Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains – arr. Jason Tonioli
This is a lesser known Christmas tune written by a Scottish pioneer who came to Southern Utah in the early 1850’s. It’s a fun tune to sing, but for some reason you rarely hear it played outside of a church meeting during the holiday season.
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: F Voicing: Piano Solo
Price:$6.95
I Wonder as I Wander (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
I Wonder as I Wander (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
I Wonder as I Wander – arr. Jason Tonioli
This is a Christmas carol written by John Jacob Niles. The carol has its origins in a song fragment collected in 1933 at a fundraising meeting held by evangelicals who had been ordered out of town by the police. In the unpublished autobiography, Niles wrote:
“A girl had stepped out to the edge of the little platform attached to the automobile. She began to sing. Her clothes were unbelievably dirty and ragged, and she, too, was unwashed. Her ash-blond hair hung down in long skeins…. But, best of all, she was beautiful, and in her untutored way, she could sing. She smiled as she sang, smiled rather sadly, and sang only a single line of a song.”
Based on this girl’s song, Niles wrote this well known tune.
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: c minor Voicing: Piano Solo
Price:$6.95
O Christmas Tree – O Come All Ye Faithful (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
O Christmas Tree – O Come All Ye Faithful (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
O Christmas Tree – O Come All Ye Faithful – arr. Jason Tonioli
This song is also known as “O Tannenbaum”. It is of German origin. The most well known version was written in 1824 by Leigzig organist, teacher and composer Ernst Anschütz. The melody is an old folk tune. The first known “Tannenbaum” song lyrics date back to 1550.
O Come All Ye Faithful just seemed to fit well with O Christmas Tree. The original tune name is “Adeste Fideles” and is attributed to John Frances Wade. It is one of my favorite hymn tunes. This is a great intermediate piece for those learning to play piano.
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: F Voicing: Piano Solo
Price:$6.95
O Come, O Come Immanuel (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
O Come, O Come Immanuel (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
O Come, O Come Immanuel – arr. Jason Tonioli
Think of a scene with shepherds from the “hills” of Bethlehem in ancient times as you play this song.
Try to capture a sad yet hopeful feeling of a person who is waiting to be delivered from hard times. Just as in ancient times when people waited for the Savior, individuals are struggling to survive today and hoping for something or someone to help them. This is a song of hope for deliverance from difficult times.
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: e minor Voicing: Piano Solo Duration: Approx. 3:30
Price:$6.95
O Little Town of Bethlehem (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
O Little Town of Bethlehem (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
O Little Town of Bethlehem – arr. Jason Tonioli
The lyrics to this song were written by Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), an Episcopal priest from Philadelphia. He was inspired by visiting the Palestinian city of Bethlehem in 1865. Three years later, he wrote the poem for his church and his organist, Lewis Redner, added the music.
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: C Voicing: Piano Solo Duration: Approx. 3:12
Price:$6.95
Silent Night (Vocal Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Vocal Solo
Silent Night (Vocal Solo – Tonioli)
Silent Night – Tonioli, Jason
This is one of the all time classic Christmas songs. It was first performed with a guitar accompaniment in the Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria on December 24, 1818. The text was written by priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by Franz Gruber.
The song was also sung simultaneously in French, English and German by troops during the Christmas truce of 1914, a song that soldiers on both sides of the front line knew.
It’s interesting how music has the ability to bring different cultures together and break down barriers of misunderstanding that in some cases have existed over long periods of time.
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: G Voicing: Vocal Solo Language: English
Price:$6.95
Sussex Carol (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
Sussex Carol (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
Sussex Carol – arr. Jason Tonioli
The Sussex Carol is a popular British carol that was first published in 1684, by Luke Wadding, a 17th-century Irish bishop. It is a simple but fun carol to play for people during the holidays.
If you enjoy making up songs, I encourage you to write them down so they can be shared with others. You never know if your song might be played by someone 300 years later. At very least, you’ll be able to play it again in the future. Learning to write down music takes time, but I can tell you from experience, it is worth it.
Arranged by: Tonioli, Jason Key: G Voicing: Piano Solo Duration: Approx. 3:20
Price:$6.95
Angels We Have Heard on High (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
arr. Jason Tonioli
Piano Solo
Angels We Have Heard on High (Piano Solo – Tonioli)
Angels We Have Heard on High – arr. Jason Tonioli
This is one of my mother’s favorite songs. She sang in a choir as a teenage girl. For one of their concerts, choir members stood on a platform shaped like a Christmas tree during a holiday concert. Singing with the choir, the harmony of the “Gloria In Excelsis Deo” chorus reminds her of how the hosts of heaven singing must have sounded.
