Joy to the World: Theme and variations for violin and viola (violin viola duo)

Title: Joy to the World: Theme and variations for violin and viola

Composer: unknown, arr. David Gable

Instrumentation: Violin and Viola

Printout: 2 pages

Note: Lowell Mason, himself a recognized composer of hymns, attributed this carol to Georg Frideric Handel because of its similarity to two melodic figures in the oratorio The Messiah (the Chorus Lift up your heads and the introduction to the recitative Comfort ye). Modern musicologists consider it more likely that the composer of Joy to the World “borrowed” material from Handel, or that the similarities are pure coincidence. This setting sounds quite virtuosic, but is very manageable for skilled players. It’s an excellent break from the usual hymnal adaptations, ideal for Christmas services and holiday parties.

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