It’s time for a Holiday Quiz for the entire family. What better way to get in the mood than a few guessing games. Ready for three?

Our first game is to match the melody with the title! These are from the imaginative Flanders Family website. Test your treble clef note-reading too. Answers are below.

The second game is more difficult and tests not only your treble clef note reading but your ear training, by asking you to try to identify these songs in just a few notes. How many can you guess correctly?

Click on the link below for the answers.

And now an International challenge. Here are four traditional carols—an English, a French, a German, and a Spanish song. If you are from other countries you may not know these but let’s learn them together. As an extra challenge, we are testing your bass clef note reading! These pieces have been written arranged, and illustrated by cellist Véra Butel from her delightful Merry Christmas Cello Book. Have a look. (Answers below.)

And just for fun, I have included a popular Chanukah song for you to try. It’s one of the most popular songs for the children’s game of chance we play during Chanukah—spinning the Dreidel. It’s a small four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side. They can be made simply from clay, (as in the song) or wood, plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, or more fancy materials such as porcelain (but then don’t spin too hard!)

Many well-known composers wrote Christmas Hymns and songs including Felix Mendelssohn, Gustav Holst, Vaughn Williams, Benjamin Britten and others. Here are four stunningly beautiful songs to listen to.

Felix Mendelssohn: Festgesang, MWV D4, “Gutenberg-Kantate”: No. 2. (adap. W.H. Cummings as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) (arr. E. Poston for choir and organ) (King’s College Choir, Cambridge; Dónal McCann, organ; Daniel Hyde, cond.)

Ralph Vaughan Williams: 8 Traditional English Carols: No. 6. The Truth Sent from Above (arr. C. Robinson for choir and organ) (King’s College Choir, Cambridge; Dónal McCann, organ; Daniel Hyde, cond.)

Gustav Holst: In The Bleak Midwinter (South West German Radio Vocal Ensemble; Marcus Creed, cond.)

Benjamin Britten: A Hymn to the Virgin (Kirsten Drope, soprano; Sabine Czinczel, alto; Frank Bossert, tenor; Torsten Müller, bass; South West German Radio Vocal Ensemble; Marcus Creed, cond.)

Now as a family, we hope you will sing these songs together, and may you have Happy Holidays from Interlude.

Answers to Quiz No. 1
Answers to Quiz No. 2
© 2018 by Jennifer Flanders. For more free printables, please visit www.flandersfamily.info

Answers to International Carol Challenge:
From the Merry Christmas Cello Book written, arranged, and Illustrated by Véra Butel.

English – No. 1 “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”
French – No. 2 “He is Born, the Divine Child”
German – No. 3 “Ring, Little Bell”
Spanish – No. 4 “Beat on the Tabourine”

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