Ding Dong Merrily on High

“Ding Dong Merrily on High” is a Christmas carol that first appeared as a French melody in the 1500s. It became popular as a carol in the early 20th century when English composer George Ratcliffe Woodward published it his “Cambridge Carol Book”. Woodward took an interest in church bell ringing, which no doubt aided him in writing it.

The song is particularly noted for the line “Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis”, where the sung vowel sound “o” of “Gloria” is fluidly sustained through a lengthy rising and falling melismatic melodic sequence.

This rendition for brass opens with an homage to bells followed by an upbeat rendition of the tune. The middle section slows down a bit and offers a little surprise.

The trumpet part may be played on cornet.