Ring in the holidays with these bell-themed sightreads.
You will certainly recognize the bells in this month's sightreading handout*, but the tunes weren't originally written for Christmas at all. One originates from Ukrainian folk songs sung in the spring foretelling the prospects of a plentiful year to come (nothing about bells). And the other was more about young men contriving opportunities for unchaperoned contact with young women in the snow. Curious? See the wikipedia links on the back page and hear the youtube renditions to follow the history.
But first just play the music on the front page. These two sightreads are easily played in multiple positions (even fourth position for the first exercise, which is unusual). The second exercise is a simple diatonic melody, while the few sharps in the first exercise provide a good example of a run up the melodic minor scale that you will surely remember because the tune is so familiar. The music awaits; give it a try!
Oh, and for those who prefer a more baroque style, there are also some youtubes of arrangements by Peter Breiner, including my favorite where he hears a famous Irving Berlin tune within Bach's Air on a G String. Off topic but couldn't resist sharing it for the holidays. Enjoy!