Deck The Hall for String Quartet
Deck The Hall for String Quartet – ‘Deck The Hall’ is a joyous carol, featured on the Manor House String Quartet‘s first CD of Christmas carol string quartet arrangements, entitled ‘I Saw Three Ships and other carols’.
This particular Christmas carol is based on a traditional Welsh tune which became very popular at New Years. The poet John Ceiriog Hughes set words to it entitled ‘New Years Eve’ (Nos Galen). Originally the lyrics were more about drinking and carousing but the later version that we know today is still celebratory but a little less raucous.
On this disc, the arrangements of all the carols were by violinist Vaughan Jones. For ‘Deck The Hall’ he wanted to keep the feel light with a rhythmic ‘chugging’ which supports the melody. In fact, this very figure is used as a short motif between the verses. Later in the carol the quartet gets divided into two with question and answer phrases being passed between the violins and the viola and cello parts. The whole carol is only a minute and a half and is both short and sweet!
You can also purchase the sheet music of Vaughan’s arrangement for the combinations of string quartet and string orchestra here: