Composer

:

Simon Preston

Genre

:

Choral

Average_duration

:

2:04

"I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In" is a traditional English Christmas carol that has been arranged and composed by many musicians over the years. One of the most popular arrangements of this carol was composed by Simon Preston, an English organist, conductor, and composer. Preston's arrangement of "I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In" was composed in 1985 and premiered at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge. The carol is written for SATB choir and organ, and it features three movements. The first movement is a lively and joyful setting of the carol's refrain, "I saw three ships come sailing in on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day." The choir sings the melody in unison while the organ provides a lively accompaniment with running eighth notes and bright harmonies. The second movement is a more contemplative setting of the carol's verses. The choir sings the verses in four-part harmony, with the organ providing a gentle accompaniment with sustained chords and occasional flourishes. The harmonies in this movement are more complex than in the first movement, and there is a sense of longing and anticipation in the music that reflects the carol's lyrics about the arrival of the three ships. The third movement returns to the joyful mood of the first movement, with the choir and organ joining together in a triumphant setting of the refrain. The choir sings the melody in harmony this time, with the organ providing a full and rich accompaniment that includes fanfare-like flourishes and a pedal point on the final chord. Overall, Preston's arrangement of "I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In" is a lively and joyful celebration of the Christmas story. The music captures the excitement and anticipation of the arrival of the three ships, while also reflecting on the deeper meaning of the story and the hope that it brings.

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