Angels We Have Heard on High (Les anges dans nos campagnes)

Traditionnel (France) · Level 2 (Beginner) · traditional · Piano

A traditional French carol from the 18th century, famous for its “Gloria in excelsis Deo” refrain where the voice unrolls long descending runs. An easy arrangement in F major: the right hand plays the tune, the left hand alternates a bass note and a two-note chord (“oom-pah”).

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

• Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
• Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
• Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
• Learn the tune alone by singing it, then the left hand alone: spot the chord changes before putting hands together in Wait mode, then at a reduced tempo. Play the “Gloria” runs smoothly legato, coming down gently.

More pieces by Traditionnel (France)

• He Is Born, the Holy Child (Il est né, le divin Enfant)
• Sur le pont d’Avignon (On the Bridge of Avignon)
• Ainsi font, font, font (The Little Puppets)
• Dodo, l’enfant do (French Lullaby)
• À la claire fontaine (At the Clear Fountain)
• Auprès de ma blonde (Beside My Fair-Haired Girl)
• Aux marches du palais (On the Palace Steps)
• Le Bon Roi Dagobert (Good King Dagobert)

Source : Arrangement Note after Note d’après l’air traditionnel « Gloria » (France, XVIIIe s.) · Public Domain