Cranham

                             Cranham

Christina Rossetti                                   Gustav Holst
                                            Mandolin tablature by
                                         Elizabeth T. Knuth, 2003

Key: F
Not too fast.

           Q
E--||------------------------------|--------------------r-----|
A--||--4:--0--------1--3-----0-----|--------------------e-----|
D--||--4:--3-----------3-----------|--5-----------3-----s-----|
G--||------------------------------|--------------------t-----|
           |        |_ |     |        |     |     |     |

          In       the bleak mid  -  win    -    ter,


   Q
|--------------------------|--------------------r-----|
|-----------0--------------|--------------------e-----|
|--5-----------5-----0-----|--5-----------------s-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------t-----|
   |        |_ |     |        |     |     |     |

 Frost  -   y wind made     moan,


   Q
|--------------------------|---------------------r-----|
|--0--------1--3-----0-----|---------------------e-----|
|--------------3-----------|---5-----------3-----s-----|
|--------------------------|---------------------t-----|
   |        |_ |     |         |     |     |     |

 Earth    stood hard as        i     -    ron,


               Q
|--------------------------|--------------------r-----|
|--------0-----------------|--------------------e-----|
|--5-----------5--------3--|--3-----------------s-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------t-----|
   |     |     |        |_    |     |     |     |

  Wa  - ter  like       a   stone;


   Q
|--------------------------|--------------------r-----|
|--1--------0--1-----3-----|--5-----5-----0-----e-----|
|--------------------------|--0-----------3-----s-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------t-----|
   |        |_ |     |        |     |     |     |

 Snow      had fall-en,     snow   on   snow,


    _____        ___
|--/-----\------/---\------|--------------------r-----|
|--3-----0-----/-----\-----|--------------------e-----|
|--3-----------5-----3-----|--2-----------------s-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------t-----|
   |     |     |     |        |     |     |     |

    Snow          on        snow,


   Q
|--------------------------|--------------------r-----|
|--0--------1--3-----0-----|--------------------e-----|
|--------------3-----------|--5-----------3-----s-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------t-----|
   |        |_ |     |        |     |     |     |

  In       the bleak mid  -  win    -    ter,


     _________ Q
|---/---------\------------|--------------r----------||
|--/-----0-----\-----------|--------------e----------||
|--5-----------5--------3--|--3-----------s----------||
|--------------------------|--------------t----------||
   |     |     |        |_    |     |     |     |

       Long             a -  go.

=================================================================
==                    TABLATURE EXPLANATION                    ==
=================================================================

                               _
----------                ----/-\----
-4:------- Time           -------2--- Slur
-4:------- Signature      ---5-------
----------                -----------

Rhythm:
  Q = dotted quarter

Meter: Irregular.

I have read that "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" is one of the most popular Christmas carols in England. Year after year, it ranks in first or second place in surveys. So here you go.

The words are by Christina Rossetti, and were published posthumously in 1904. The tune is by Gustav Holst, and was written especially for this poem. The music was published in 1906. Both are in the public domain in the United States.

The top notes are the melody. A tip on playing it: don't go too fast, or it will sound like a march. You are aiming for a somewhat dreary mood in the first verse; later verses are wondering and reverent.

If you like, you can hear a MIDI file of "Cranham".

Simple Gifts Mandolin Tablature Archive | Elizabeth T. Knuth's Home Page

Comments to: eknuth@unix.csbsju.edu