God Rest Ye Rockin' Gentlemen!

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is a traditional English Christmas carol. The English lawyer and antiquarian William Sandys is regarded as the person who popularised the song by including it in his 1833 publication, "Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern", a collection of Christmas carols that Sandys had gathered and apparently also improvised himself. An early version of the song can be found in an anonymous manuscript from the 1650s. There are already many arrangements of this song, but it is Frank Bernaerts who has created a rock version of this Christmas carol for us. The arrangement, aptly titled "God Rest Ye Rockin' Gentlemen!", begins with a quiet introduction in which fragments of the melody can be heard, building up to a majestic climax followed by a swirling and dynamic rock version. This edition is available for concert band, fanfare and brass band and deserves a place in every Christmas repertoire.