Deck The Halls- Free Sheet Music and Lyrics

Details

Category: Free Christmas and Sacred Sheet Music

Written by Chad Criswell

This document contains the instrumental, vocal, and guitar parts to the traditional Christmas Carol , Deck The Halls. Over the centuries Deck The Halls has had many minor changes made to its lyrics, but the tune itself remains basically unchanged. 

The Origins of the Christmas Carol, Deck The Halls: 

Believed to have originated in Wales in the mid to late 1500's, the song we now know today as Deck The Halls may have come from another traditional folk song  named Nos Galan (click here to hear a MIDI file of the original Nos Galan melody ).  The original words were quite different and had nothing to do with the Christmas season as we have come to accept today.  A rough translation of the original Welsh lyrics results in this strange stanza:

To the troubled cold (i.e. chilling) are the bills
Which come during the holidays;
Listening to a sermon in one verse;
Spending more than you earn.

This is a far cry from the now traditional lyrics that we sing each year while sipping an egg nog.   The song was brought to the United States and adapted to fit with the more seasonal lyrics of today.  It's first official publication was in 1881 in a book of English songs titled "The Franklin Square Song Collection ," compiled by J.P. McCaskey.

Printed below are instrumental and vocal sheet music parts for all standard concert band instruments as well as guitar (in both notation and tablature formats).  The full score can be transposed and printed in any key you desire.  This music can be freely used for personal or educational uses, but is not to be published or posted online without the permission of the arranger. 

Deck The Halls

#	Name	Size	Downloaded
1	Deck The Halls Voice (Details) (View)	17.62 kB	2386 times
2	Deck The Halls Tuba (Details) (View)	16.42 kB	1592 times
3	Deck The Halls Trumpet In Bb (Details) (View)	17.87 kB	3479 times
4	Deck The Halls Trombone Baritone (Details) (View)	15.72 kB	2845 times
5	Deck The Halls Percussion (Details) (View)	15.12 kB	572 times
6	Deck The Halls Horn In F (Details) (View)	15.97 kB	1065 times
7	Deck The Halls Glockenspiel (Details) (View)	16.32 kB	1341 times
8	Deck The Halls Flute Oboe (Details) (View)	15.86 kB	2903 times
9	Deck The Halls Clarinet In Bb (Details) (View)	17.87 kB	3334 times
10	Deck The Halls Alto Saxophone (Details) (View)	15.92 kB	3337 times
11	Deck The Halls Acoustic Guitar 2 (Details) (View)	15.81 kB	930 times
12	Deck The Halls Acoustic Guitar (Details) (View)	16.32 kB	1236 times
13	Deck The Halls Voice (Details) (View)	28.77 kB	1098 times
14	Deck The Halls Tuba (Details) (View)	27.87 kB	864 times
15	Deck The Halls Trumpet In Bb (Details) (View)	27.91 kB	1439 times
16	Deck The Halls Trombone Baritone (Details) (View)	27.85 kB	1335 times
17	Deck The Halls Percussion (Details) (View)	27.7 kB	297 times
18	Deck The Halls Horn In F (Details) (View)	27.85 kB	758 times
19	Deck The Halls Glockenspiel (Details) (View)	27.9 kB	741 times
20	Deck The Halls Flute Oboe (Details) (View)	27.87 kB	1377 times
21	Deck The Halls Clarinet In Bb (Details) (View)	27.91 kB	1697 times
22	Deck The Halls Alto Saxophone (Details) (View)	27.85 kB	1586 times
23	Deck The Halls Acoustic Guitar 02 (Details) (View)	27.85 kB	560 times
24	Deck The Halls Acoustic Guitar (Details) (View)	27.9 kB	728 times
25	Deck The Halls (Details) (View)	31.29 kB	1649 times

The lyrics (words) to Deck The Halls:

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
'Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing Yule before us, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
While I tell of Yule tide treasure, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Sing we joyous, all together, 
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

About The Author

Author:Chad Criswell

Chad Criswell is a career music educator working in the Iowa public schools.  His articles have appeared in dozens of publications both online and in print.  He currently serves as the national music technology writer for NAfME's Teaching Music Magazine and has presented sessions at numerous music education conferences including the 2012 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic.

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Comments  

 

+1#1Mikey2008-12-09 08:27

I can't get the song to print out. Everytime I try to click on [PDF], it brings me back to the homepage.

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0#2Chad Criswell2008-12-09 09:21

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I have fixed the links so that they point to the correct files. Sorry for the inconvenience!

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+1#3Olivia2010-11-15 22:13

this so really makes my family's Christmas performance practice really go smooth. Thanks a bunch.

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+1#4maggie2010-12-14 14:59

does anybody know the notes on the trombone for deck the halls if you do please write it here its for cejep homework and i want to become a musician and if i don't do it i will get kicked out of the music class this is for quarter of my grade!!!

sincerely
maggie
thank you for your time

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