
Merry Christmas 1994

 1994 John Eidsvoog

----------------------

This ZIP file includes four MIDI files which I've prepared as a Christmas
gift for 1994.  You may freely distribute the files, however the
compositions and arrangements belong to me and are protected by copyright
laws.  You may use them only for your listening enjoyment.  Other uses are
prohibited without my consent.

These four files were performed as piano pieces and will therefore sound
best when played with a piano sound.  I performed them live in real time. 
They are unquantized and are not synced to a metronome or click track (you
should turn off your metronome).  The performances were captured by MIDI
Spy, the real-time background MIDI recorder from CodeHead Technologies. 


The Eidsvoog 1994 Christmas Card
--------------------------------

My wife Julie and I have traditionally prepared a small composition which
we send out as our Christmas card each year.  I compose a piece (loosely,
a theme and variation on a Christmas song) and Julie does the copy work
(which is her profession).  This year's piece is fashioned after God Rest,
Ye Merry Gentlemen (subtitled "Got Rest, Ye Married Gentlemen?"). 

This piece marks the tenth in our series of Christmas cards prepared this
way.  I hope to publish them in a book soon.



Carol of the Bells
------------------

This arrangement tosses out the traditional 3/4 feel of Carol of the Bells
and bounces it around in 6/8, with a couple of jazz choruses in the
middle. 



Spinning Song, by Felix Mendelssohn
-----------------------------------

This composition comes from Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words".  It's
quite fast, and fun to play.



Sleigh Ride
-----------

I woke up a few days ago singing Sleigh Ride in 7/8 time.  It fits quite
nicely (although there are two places where there are two bars of 5/8).




I hope you enjoy these pieces of music.  Merry Christmas.


John Eidsvoog
CodeHead Technologies

GEnie address: J.EIDSVOOG.1
ATARI
Category 32,  Topic 11
Message 114       Sun Dec 25, 1994
J.EIDSVOOG1 [CodeHead]       at 14:08 PST
 
Thanks Charlie, I'm glad you like them.  Yes, Slay Ride (Sleigh Ride) is in
7/8 time, although there are two spots with two bars of 5/8 time ("Gitty up,
Gitty up, Gitty up, let's go").  [I can tell you didn't read the README file
<grin>].

I played it last night for a large roomful of friends.  I had just finished
playing Spinning Song for them and a few of them started talking rather loudly
while I was playing (so much so that I cut out a big section of it).  So when
I announced Sleigh Ride I told them that it was a special version for those
with short attention spans. "Instead of being in four, I'll play it in three
and a half".  <grin>

John
----------
ATARI
Category 32,  Topic 11
Message 115       Sun Dec 25, 1994
M.HEBERT1 ['Papa']           at 16:41 PST
 
 John,

 Don't that jes' burn you! I used to plunk the Appalachian Dulcimer a
 few years back (built my own) and I always felt insulted when people
 would ask me to play and didn't listen >8-(

 'Papa'
----------
