Monday 3 December 2018
Tune of the Day: Leise rieselt der Schnee
Traditional German carol
“Leise rieselt der Schnee” (“Softly falls the snow”) is one of the most popular German carols. The lyrics are from a poem by Eduard Ebel, originally published in 1895 as “Weihnachtsgruß” (“Christmas greeting”). The melody is sometimes also attributed to Ebel, though this attribution is probably spurious, especially considering that Ebel only published the text of the song.
Ebel's winter poem was originally subtitled “ein Kinderlied”, meaning “a children's song”. It wasn't intended as an Advent or Christmas song, but because of its Christmas references it became a popular carol during the early weeks leading up to Christmas.
Thanks to Gabriela for suggesting this tune!