It’s time to decorate for Christmas, and what better song to listen to than Deck the Halls?
The lyrics to this 16th-century tune were written by Thomas Oliphant in 1862. For this particular recording of the song, I drew largely from the two violins/piano arrangement written by my uncle Philip Parker, composer and music professor. It highlights the strings, playing with tight harmonies and elegant arpeggiation. For more about him, check out my interview!
Bulgarian virtuoso violinist Kamen Petkov performed the first violin part, alongside myself on 2nd violin and pianist Laura Fliege. Kamen has been teaching my own children violin for a couple of years. My daughter joined us for a couple of verses.
Learn more about Kamen’s incredible violin career on NPR Illinois!