Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

About this arrangement

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas in C major and 4/4, with the tune placed in the upper half of the treble staff so it sits well clear of the left hand. It is nearly all steady crotchets, four to a bar, on repeated notes, with a long note at the end of each line. The right hand stays in one place the whole way through: thumb on the A above middle C, fingers on A B C D E, and the tune starts on E with the little finger. In bars 6 and 14 the thumb reaches down one key to G and comes straight back. Bar 7 has the only quavers, on “go-ing”. The left hand holds one chord in each bar from the C position: C (C E G), F (C F A), G (B D G) and G7 (B D F).

Practice tip: The tune is built from repeated notes, so the trick is keeping them even and not rushing. Count “one, two, three, four” out loud the first few times, and lift each finger just enough between repeated notes for every one to sound. Hold the long notes on “way”, “say”, “man” and “can” for all four beats.

The words

Jolly old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way! Don’t you tell a single soul what I’m going to say. Christmas Eve is coming soon; now, you dear old man, whisper what you’ll bring to me; tell me if you can.

A short history

The words began as a poem by Emily Huntington Miller (1833–1913), “Lilly’s Secret”, published in December 1865 in The Little Corporal, an American magazine for children. In it a child whispers a Christmas wish to Saint Nicholas, the gift-bringer American children were coming to know as Santa Claus. The words sung today are close to Miller’s poem. Other writers have sometimes been credited, but without evidence.

The music is credited to James R. Murray (1841–1905), an American composer and music editor; words and tune were first published together, with his name on the music, in 1874 in School Chimes, a school songbook from S. Brainard’s Sons. Later songbooks reprinted it, including the Franklin Square Song Collection in 1881. Murray is also remembered for “Mueller”, the tune most North Americans sing to Away in a Manger.

The song spread through American schools and became one of the best-known children’s Christmas songs, usually sung in four short lines in a quick, cheerful march.

Quick facts

Tune

James R. Murray, 1874 (attributed)

Words

Emily Huntington Miller, 1865 (as commonly sung)

Level

Beginner (one hand position, simple left hand)

Key

C major

Time signature

4/4

Length

16 bars

Tempo

Merrily, crotchet = 108

Hands

Both hands on the grand staff: right hand on the treble staff, left hand on the bass staff

Copyright

Public domain tune and words; arrangement by Digital Greenhouse, free for personal, church and classroom use

Questions and answers