Angels from the Realms of Glory on the ocarina
On a 12-hole it starts F, D, B♭, F. Medium, 46 notes, in Bb major.
Goes up to high E♭, so it does not fit a 4-hole.
Angels from the Realms of Glory
Bar 1 of 12
What are the notes for Angels from the Realms of Glory?
On a 12-hole. Read left to right, a line at a time.
- FD B♭Fhigh Dhigh CB♭FGGFB♭FE♭DFD
- B♭Fhigh Dhigh CB♭AB♭AGAB♭AGFhigh Chigh C
- AFhigh Dhigh CTricky spot:B♭Ghigh E♭high Dhigh CB♭B♭AB♭
Angels from the Realms of Glory is a Christmas hymn in four-beat bars, sung in the US to Henry Smart's tune Regent Square, and it opens F, D, then leaps up to B flat, F and high D. Here it is in B flat major, from D up to high E flat, which a 12-hole or a 6-hole ocarina in C can play: the verse and the 'Come and worship' refrain as the Methodist Hymnal printed them in 1905.
What is the tricky spot in Angels from the Realms of Glory?
Bar 10, in the refrain, where the tune comes back in after a breath on G with a leap up to high E flat, then steps down through high D and high C to B flat. On a 12-hole, Angels from the Realms of Glory goes from G to high E♭: you lift the left ring, left middle, left index, left thumb and right thumb and cover the right ring. On a 6-hole, you lift the left index, right index, left thumb and right thumb and cover the right middle.
High E flat is a cross-fingering above high D: learn its fingering on its own first, give it firm, steady air, and ease the air off as the run comes down. Practise the run high E flat, high D, high C, B flat slowly before you play the whole refrain. B flat is a cross-fingering on a 12-hole too, and the tune keeps coming back to it, so learn it early. The verse has its own leap, twice: the tune falls from F to D and jumps up to B flat, then F and high D, a dotted note followed by a quick C.
Where do you breathe in Angels from the Realms of Glory?
The 1905 page marks the end of each phrase with a heavy bar line, and those are the places to breathe: after the F in bar 2, the long D in bar 4, the A in bar 6, the long F in bar 8 and the G in bar 10. The last phrase runs to the end in one breath.
Which ocarina can play Angels from the Realms of Glory?
A 4-hole ocarina cannot reach high D and high E♭, so play Angels from the Realms of Glory in this key on a 12-hole or 6-hole ocarina in C. On an ocarina in G or F, use the same fingerings: the tune sounds in a different key, which is fine when you play alone. Each linked chart has every fingering for its ocarina, and you can check your notes with a tuner such as our free ocarina tuner.
The 9 notes here, on a 12-holeHoles in words, with a picture
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| F | Cover every main hole but the right middle, right ring and right pinky | |
| D | Cover every main hole but the right pinky | |
| B♭ | Cover the left pinky, left index, right ring, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high D | Cover the left pinky and right thumb | |
| high C | Cover the left pinky, left thumb and right thumb | |
| G | Cover every main hole but the right index, right middle, right ring and right pinky | |
| E♭ | Cover every main hole but the right ring and right pinky, plus the right sub-hole | |
| A | Cover the left pinky, left middle, left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high E♭ | Cover the left pinky and right ring |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| F | Cover every hole but the right middle and right index | |
| D | Cover every hole but the right middle | |
| B♭ | Cover the right index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high D | Cover the left thumb | |
| high C | Cover the left thumb and right thumb | |
| G | Cover every hole but the left middle and right middle | |
| E♭ | Cover the left middle, right middle, left index, left thumb and right thumb; half-cover the right index | |
| A | Cover the left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high E♭ | Cover the right middle |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
Where do our Angels from the Realms of Glory tabs come from?
James Montgomery wrote the words in 1816. In the US they are mostly sung to Regent Square, Henry Smart's tune, which the Methodist Hymnal (New York, 1905) prints with them; in the UK they are usually sung to the French carol tune Iris. These tabs are our own arrangement of Regent Square, moved from C major to B flat major. Music: tune "Regent Square" by Henry Smart (1813-1879); words by James Montgomery (1771-1854).