Love Came Down at Christmas

This poem, by Christina Rossetti (1830–1894), was first published in her collection Time Flies: A Reading Diary in 1885. Rossetti’s text is frequently paired with an Irish tune, GARTAN. This tune was first published in Ancient Music of Ireland from the Petrie Collection and had been collected from County Donegal from a Rev. James Mease. The melody was adapted as a hymn tune and printed with Rossetti’s text in the Irish Church Hymnal, where it was given the name GARTAN, after Lough (Lake) Gartan in County Donegal, Ireland.

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Difficulty: Elem/Int

Key: G Major

Lever Changes: NO

Fingering Suggestions: Yes

Length: 2 pages

Duration: 2:20