Away In A Manger for Classical Guitar
Oct 31st, 2007 by skanson.com
Song history of Away In A Manger - First published in an 1885 Lutheran Sunday School, “Away in a Manger” has two major melodies for the song, neither of them with certain authorship. The first two verses of “Away in a Manger” were 
originally published in a Lutheran Sunday school book in 1885. Two years later, James R. Murray published Away in a Manger as “Luther’s Cradle Hymn” thus creating the misconception that Martin Luther himself had written it. Although some attribute the words to Luther, Away in a Manger is usually considered American anonymous. Some credit the music to Murray; others think he merely harmonized an old German folk song.
This arrangement of Away In A Manger - “One of the sweetest of the traditional carols, away
in a manger is actually sung to 2 different melodies. This classical guitar with violins and cellos of Away in a Manger features both. I used those 2 melodies for Away in a manger in separate parts of the song and added Brahms Lullaby as an introduction and unifying element. The most familiar Away in a Manger melody constitutes most of this arrangement. It is the one we sing here in America. However at the very end of the song I do the last verse with the melody of Away in a Manger that is more familiar in England.
Also, I do the ending melody of Away in a Manger with a special guitar technique called natural and false harmonics. That is the bell like sound you hear. Guitar ‘harmonics’ are created when you lightly touch the string with your finger at specific positions and then pluck the string. Hit play on the player below to view a demonstration of natural harmonics on the guitar.
This causes both sections of the string, to the right and left of the spot you’re touching, to vibrate simultaneously, giving a bell like quality to the note. It’s best to quickly remove your finger as you pluck. What you are doing is removing the fundamental and only hearing the harmonics.
There are three points along the string that natural harmonics occur: the fifth, seventh and twelfth frets … directly above the fret-wire. At these points, the string is divided exactly into fourths, thirds and halves respectively. The purity of sound comes from these perfect fractions of string ringing together.
I achieve false harmonics by fretting a note with my left hand and then touching the string with my picking hand’s index finger exactly one octave [12 frets] above the note. I then pluck the string with my third finger.” - Darren Curtis Skanson
