I Saw Three Ships
  • jporenchuk
    Posts: 72
    Does anyone know what arrangement of I Saw Three Ships this is? My parish did it a few years ago and I just rediscovered it. Here it’s being done by organ and trumpet. It reminds me of the David Marlatt arrangement but that’s arranged for 6 trumpets and it has some different sections that this doesn’t have. Here’s a recording I snipped from the parish vigil Mass on Christmas. There is another recording of it in the prelude at Midnight Mass with less background noise but the whole recording is also quieter.

    On a different note, I’m also interested in people’s thoughts on using I Saw Three Ships as a piece of music during Mass or prelude/postlude settings on Christmas. Is this an appropriate piece?

  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,407
    I have an organ postlude on this tune and I have enthusiastically used it in the past!
  • RoborgelmeisterRoborgelmeister
    Posts: 320
    If we were to make a distinction between a hymn and a carol, it's a carol. But Americans can't make the distinction.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Chant_Supremacist
    Posts: 242
    I have a soft spot for this song. I would enjoy hearing and singing it at church on Christmas day. But it's very childlike in form and content, and all things considered, more suited to before or after the mass. Regarding the recording, I would prefer hearing it played or sung straight without these kind of extra musical gestures.
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