- The Friendly Beasts (SSATB, SSA & 2-part editions) on Choirworks
- Coming soon to J.W. Pepper, Sheet Music Plus & Sheet Music Direct
- Additional Video Demos: SSA, 2-part
This fresh setting of The Friendly Beasts turns one of Christmas music’s oldest stories into a warm, playful jazz-inspired swing waltz. The lilting 3/4 groove gives the familiar melody a relaxed, gently bouncing character, while the piano accompaniment adds rhythmic lift and harmonic color without losing the carol’s unmistakable charm. The result is festive and sophisticated, with plenty of room for singers to bring personality to the text.
The arrangement is available in SSATB, SSA, and 2-part choir with piano, making it adaptable for adult, treble, youth, and developing ensembles. The music invites a lighter, more conversational approach than a traditional hymn-like treatment, allowing the individual animals—and their wonderfully imaginative gifts to the Christ child—to emerge with character.
There’s more history behind this seemingly simple Christmas song than its playful text might suggest. The Friendly Beasts traces its roots to 12th-century France, where its melody was associated with the medieval Latin song Orientis Partibus, sometimes called the “Song of the Ass” or “Donkey Carol.” The original song celebrated the donkey who carried Mary and the infant Jesus, and was associated with the medieval Festival of the Ass, in which a donkey could actually be led into the church as part of the celebration.
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The familiar English text is much newer. It is generally attributed to Robert Davis, whose English adaptation appeared in the early 20th century, transforming the medieval donkey song into the charming Nativity story we know today: the donkey carries Mary, the cow offers its manger, the sheep provides wool, and the dove sings the baby to sleep.
That combination of ancient melody, whimsical storytelling, and modern jazz-inflected rhythm is what makes this arrangement especially fun for a Christmas concert. It is recognizable, but it doesn’t sound like the same old carol—and it gives a choir the opportunity to bring both musical polish and a little personality to the Nativity story.
Share Your Performance
I would love to hear your choir perform this piece! Please consider sending me a recording, photos, a copy of your program, or a link to your performance at ryan@choirworks.com.
With your permission, I may share selected recordings, photos, or performance information through Choirworks’ website and social media to help introduce your ensemble to other singers and conductors—and to help other choirs discover this piece. Thank you for giving this work a life beyond the page!