Re: [Harp-L] Internationally known holiday tunes????

[David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Oh, by all means, Silent night. It's perfect, it's a German (well, Austrian German) song that was written not long before the harmonica started catching on.Â
Aude Lang Syne is another that comes to mind, that's a very universal holiday song. New Years Eve 1952, my grandfather was in a front-line trench on the rim of an extinct volcano (The Punchbowl) about 14,000 feet elevation in Korea. they were having a new year's gathering, as much as you could in a trench when it's 50 below, I suppose. To their right were the turks, in front of them, in the opposing trench were the North Koreans. With them in that trench were KATUSA (Korean augmentation to the United States Army, a.k.a South Koreans). As they rang in the new year as best they could, they sang Aude Lang Syne, the KATUSA soldiers stood up and saluted and stuff. Grandpa says "what the hell are y'all doing?" and was surprised to learn it was the tune to their National anthem. That's another universal holiday song. But for the harmonica, I don't think you can do any better than silent night. Â


David Payne
www.elkriverharmonicas.com
www.hetrickharmonica.com


________________________________
 From: W B <wbharptime2@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Monday, December 3, 2012 10:43 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Internationally known holiday tunes????
 
Iâm getting ready for my corporate harmonica teambuilding gig in
Chicago. I will have twelve executives that make up the International
Finance Leadership Team for a multi-billion dollar company. All
receive a new harp and I share the basics about the instrument. Then I
will have a simple blues backing track for them to get a feel for the
1-4-5 concept that makes up the majority of the blues genre. I will
then create teams and help them write a simple blues lyric to the
backing track. Then they will perform the songs for the rest of the
group! I have done this program a number of times and they have a
blast. This program is usually inserted into a multi day conference to
break things up and everybody interacting outside of the work place
(which in this case is worldwide) Now my question for yâall ,
especially international folk:
I want to bring the holiday season into the mix by doing/sharing a few
classic tunes, Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman and Deck the Halls
came to mind first. Send them home with some tab sheets. My group
will have people from France, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Munich,
Panama and of course Chicago. Are any of the popular holiday tunes we
enjoy here in USA universal and identifiable worldwide? Any
suggestions for simple song choices that may have universal appeal?

I fly out in the morning so any ideas please share ASAP. Either way I
will be fine but I always try to make each event a special event. I
want them all to fly home loving the harmonica and Warren Bee! Thanks
in advance.

WB