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I Saw Three Ships: the melody (soprano)

The melody of I Saw Three Ships, sung by the soprano, in G, from D4 to D5. Hear it on its own or with the others, then sing it and watch each note light up.

Carries the Derbyshire tune, most often on A, then G, up to its top D twice a verse, on the "sail-" of "sailing" in verse 1, "ships" in verse 2, "Christ" in verse 3 and the "joice" of "rejoice" in verse 9, and down to its low D on the first word of each half of every verse ("I", "And", "The" and "Then") and on the "day;" ("day?" in verse 2) just before the second half.

Range
D4 to D5
Key
G
Guide voice
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How to learn the soprano part

  1. 01 · Your part

    Hear your part on its own until the tune of it is in your ear.

  2. 02 · With the others

    Hear it with the others, so you know where it sits in the chord.

  3. 03 · Sing it

    Sing it with the others under you and watch each note light up as you land it. The mic listens only while it plays, and nothing is recorded.

About I Saw Three Ships

Words: Traditional English (as printed by Bramley and Stainer)

Tune: Traditional English, from Derbyshire (as printed by Bramley and Stainer)

I Saw Three Ships is a traditional English carol, sung here to its tune from Derbyshire as Henry Ramsden Bramley and John Stainer printed it, with Stainer's four parts, in the complete edition of their Christmas Carols New and Old, published by Novello in London. William Sandys printed its words in 1833 with an earlier form of the tune in three-four time; the earliest printing we have read of the six-eight tune we sing is William Henry Husk's Songs of the Nativity of 1868, under the title On Christmas Day in the Morning, and Stainer's setting first appeared in the third series of Christmas Carols New and Old in 1878. Our arrangement is read from Bramley and Stainer's book, in G as printed: the soprano sings the tune, with breaths written in for beginners, and the alto, tenor and bass are adapted from Stainer's harmony. This is four of the book's nine verses, for 2 to 4 singers: the three ships, what was in them, the Virgin Mary and Christ aboard, and the last, "Then let us all rejoice amain".

All about I Saw Three Ships More Christmas carols, part by part

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Stackapella recording a part: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording a part: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording a part: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording a part: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up.
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  • Your notes light upEach note shows where you landed, and a hint when to go up or down.
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