Terrence Niska
Composer • Arranger
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
Composer Notes
Beginning with a dramatic introduction inspired by Bach, this prelude is much darker in tone than most Christmas carols. The first verse has the left hand crossing over to play the single note melody as the right continues the pulsating rhythm established at the start. By the second verse the hands have resumed their normal position, but now the melody is heard among a flurry of notes and must be brought out to the listener. As I was writing this, I had images of “A Christmas Carol” floating through my mind, particularly when the ghost of Christmas-yet-to-come visits Ebeneezer and convinces him to change his ways. This leads to the change of key from minor to major for the final section with a more Chopinesque feeling to the music as the melody returns to the left hand while the right swirls above.