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I'm trying to find out the name of a traditional Christmas carol I remember. It's in the harmonic key and contains the chorus "fa la la la, fa la la la la la la la, fa la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la."

(And no, it's NOT "Deck the Halls!")

Here is a video of the chorus: https://youtu.be/0qratI4dbsI

Chris Sunami
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user31708
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    Interesting use of YouTube. – Donald.McLean Dec 21 '15 at 20:24
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    Can you clarify what you mean by "it's in the harmonic key"? I don't understand that term, and a quick Google search doesn't point me to an obvious meaning, so you can you use more/different words to describe what you mean? – mlibby Dec 22 '15 at 13:04
  • I think the term you mean is "modal" not harmonic. Modal keys are older modes of music that predate the invention of the major and minor keys, and are associated with medieval music. "Greensleeves" is originally modal, although most modern renditions transpose it into minor. – Chris Sunami Dec 22 '15 at 14:23
  • FWIW, my research shows "ballett" or "balletto" was an Old English musical style featuring "fa la la" choruses. Unfortunately, searching for it doesn't yield much help. You might try looking through lists of old English or medieval Christmas carols. – Chris Sunami Dec 22 '15 at 14:53
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    Equally, the Christmas trappings might be misleading, and it could be a mediaeval song, or a madrigal but not necessarily connected with Christmas. Many carols are either mediaeval in origin, or are more modern settings of mediaeval texts in a neo-mediaeval style. Madrigals also involve a quantity of fa-la-la. – Angst Mar 22 '16 at 20:22

1 Answers1

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Could it be Fa La La Holiday “Chopsticks”, tune by Arthur de Lulli, Words by Joyce Eilers

Fa-la-la-la-la-la (Fa-la-la-la-la-la) Fa-la-la (Fa-la-la) Fa-la-la-la-la-la Late in December it’s nice to remember that fa-la-la holiday it’s such a jolly day.
Sleigh bells are jingling, ring-a-ling, ting-a-ling and we are singing along. Ching! Ching!
The snow is falling all around us, and friends are calling “Come out and play,”We’ll build a snowman all together, and hope it won’t melt away.
Ribbons and bows (Ribbons and bows)
Candles a-glow (Candles a-glow)
Carolers singing the songs that we knowTwinkling lights (Twinkling lights) On holly and pine, (On holly and pine)
Mistletoe hanging at Christmas time. “Joy to the World” and “O Come All Ye Faithful” are songs we’ll be singing when we goout caroling. “Silent Night, holy night. All is calm all is bright” Caroling all through the night
We’ll deck the hall with boughs of holly, and tie them up with a velvet bow.It is the season to be jolly, and send our greetings to all we know.
Merrily sing (Merrily sing)
Carols we bring (Carols we bring)
Join in our Fa-La-La holiday song.
Fa-la-la-laFa-la-la-la Fa-la-la holiday song!
Fa-la!Fa-la-la-la-la-la (Fa-la-la-la-la-la)
Fa-la-la holiday song! Fa-la

Bebs
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Cherie
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