Lyr Req: Hurry Little Children, Christmas Morn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hurry Little Children, Christmas Morn
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Nov 10 - 09:10 PM

This must be the sheet music you referred to:

THE PICCANINIES [sic] CHRISTMAS.
(SUITE)
No. 1. Hurry Little Children, Christmas Morn.
A. D. Cammeyer
[For banjo and piano; no vocal.
No publisher's name or date is visible.]
Click for a PDF file of the sheet music.

From the same web site:

Alfred D. Cammeyer (1862-1949)

Alfred D. Cammeyer, originally from Brooklyn, NY, moved to London in 1888, and remained in England for the rest of his life. His compositions have a refined quality about them, featuring long, lyrical phrases and gentle rhythms not usually associated with the banjo. One other unusual feature of Cammeyer's compositions are the piano accompaniments, which support the banjo with eloquent harmonies and clever exchanges of the melody.

Much of Cammeyer's music was intended for an instrument of his own invention, the zither banjo. This closed-back variant of the regular banjo had five strings, with the first, second and fifth strings being made of steel and the third and fourth of gut. Zither banjos had a more sustained, ringing tone than their open-back counterparts.

There is more biographical information here.

Tony Trischka recorded HURRY LITTLE CHILDREN, CHRISTMAS MORN on his album "Glory Shone Around: A Christmas Collection" (Rounder, 1995)

This must be a very rare piece of music. WorldCat.org, which combines the catalogs of hundreds of libraries worldwide, doesn't list it, although it lists many other works by Cammeyer.

Subject: Lyr Req: Hurry Little Children, Christmas Morn
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 10 - 04:29 PM

I have found sheet music (instrumental) for the song from the "Piccaninie Christmas Suite" by A. D. Cammeyer. I suspect that lyrics were written...the title scans exactly to the melodic hook. Anyone heard it sung? THNX!