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A Most Befuddling Thanksgiving Update (or My 2017 Christmas Card Carol 🙂 )

Nov 23, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving from the USA! Tomorrow is turkey day around here, and the retailers are having a competition to see who can send the most spam before it arrives. So I ignored my e-mail and finished up this year’s Christmas Card Carol.

As I contemplated the Very Important Issue of what to title this post, I thought about…

Take Time Away to Be Thou My Holy Vision in a Manger.

Um, maybe not.

This year’s carol is one arrangement with three different sets of words. It all started when my daughter, Holly, messaged me during General Conference and said, “This song needs to be ‘Away in a Manger.'” She was so right.

Here’s this year’s offering, sung by Allyse Smith Taylor, with violin by Jana Hanni. Can you identify the melody? (There’s a clue in that jumbled title reject.)

Since “Be Thou My Vision” and “Take Time to Be Holy” are two well-loved Christian hymns, I decided to produce scores for each of those as well. All three arrangements are identical, except the words and the resultant rhythmic alterations those words demanded. That made 36 scores to upload (counting the Personal Composer scores) for a single arrangement. Which got a bit confusing. Hence the use of the word “befuddling” in the title. If you catch any mistakes, let me know.

The arrangement is voiced for solo and for SSAATB. (The choral setting of “Away in a Manger” is too late in the season to be of much use… typical.)

The solo is in the alto range, but the SSAATB accompaniment is a step higher, and works just fine with the solo version. If you need it higher still, here are transposition instructions.

This is the first installment of a project Allyse and I have been working on for… well… years. Yeah, I’m efficient like that. She spent a week with me this fall, recording 16 (count ’em… sixteen!) tracks… all beautifully sung (of course), and all clamoring to be mixed and readably written down.

So there you have it… my first Christmas present of the season..

Away in a Manger
Be Thou My Vision
Take Time to Be Holy

Happy turkey day to all!

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20 Comments

Willfred on November 26, 2017 at 1:10 pm

Thanks, so much…..May God bless u
Reply
Cynthia Newville on November 26, 2017 at 12:50 am

Another beautiful arrangement. Thank you for sharing your amazing talent.
Cindy
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vhjwH246emS0dzb4wF225av0HmNUT6d8rypSSaN+vy8= on November 25, 2017 at 5:27 pm

I notice that you changed your “What Child is This” arrangement. Do you still publish the old one, with flute? It always made me cry but I love it!
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- sallydeford on November 25, 2017 at 7:28 pm
  
  I have two arrangements for “What Child is This?”: the duet/two-part arrangement doesn’t include flute; the congregational accompaniment does. Does that help?
  Reply
  - vhjwH246emS0dzb4wF225av0HmNUT6d8rypSSaN+vy8= on November 25, 2017 at 8:03 pm
    
    Ah, I just missed it. Thank you!
    Reply
Corryn Bass on November 24, 2017 at 8:38 pm

Just beautiful!! I think im going to add it to our Christmas program
Thank You
Reply
Michelle on November 24, 2017 at 5:45 am

I can’t seem to find the sheet music for this. Is it available? (Love, love, LOVE it- by the way.)
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- sallydeford on November 25, 2017 at 3:51 am
  
  Thanks, Michelle! If you just visit the song pages, then click the tab marked “Sheet Music Downloads,” you’ll find the scores available there.
  Reply
  - Michelle on November 26, 2017 at 12:09 am
    
    I am seeing about four different titles in the introduction above. I am not seeing this version on the song pages under any of those titles. (Sorry, I am technology impaired.) What is the official title? I am looking for a choral arrangement of this beautiful song.
    Reply
    - sallydeford on November 26, 2017 at 2:08 am
      
      There are three different sets of lyrics, under three different titles. Just click the title above that you’re looking for. You can also find them on the Song List page.
      Reply
Nancy on November 24, 2017 at 1:48 am

Very beautiful. Thank you for sharing your amazing talent.
Reply
Martin on November 23, 2017 at 8:03 pm

One can’t thank you enough for all the good you do, Sally. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Jeannine on November 23, 2017 at 6:33 pm

Wow … again you have created such a masterpiece! I’ve listened to it three times already this morning. I love it. <3 Our Totally Awesome Duncan Ward Choir loves you and your music. Thank you for sharing your amazing talent so freely so that we can express our love of the Saviour to others.
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Ronda Stapleton on November 23, 2017 at 4:34 pm

Sally what can I say sweet friend? Beautiful as always, and a wonderful start to my day. Happy Thanksgiving my dear~ Love you
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Christine Cramer on November 23, 2017 at 2:27 pm

That is a beautiful arrangement and well done. Thank you for offering your talents so freely.
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Rebecca on November 23, 2017 at 2:11 pm

This is simply beautiful!
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Connie Ames on November 23, 2017 at 1:47 pm

I love this arrangement ~ beautiful. Is it possible to order the music for this? (The solo version)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU as well.
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- sallydeford on November 23, 2017 at 3:42 pm
  
  Nope… You can’t buy it. 😉 if you click the page links though, you can download it free. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
  Reply
Cindy on November 23, 2017 at 12:59 pm

Sally DeFord- you’re awesome! Have a great Thanksgiving holiday! I am grateful for You!
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Peter on November 23, 2017 at 11:03 am

Lovely as always. Thanks Sally and Allyse
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