Song facts
- Original key
- G major
- Type
- Christmas carol
- Music
- Traditional (melody TEMPUS ADEST FLORIDUM, Piae Cantiones) (traditional)
- Original lyrics
- John Mason Neale (died 1866)
- First published
- 1853
Public-domain songs · Christmas carol instrumental
Good King Wenceslas
Play the Good King Wenceslas instrumental in the original key of G major, or from 3 semitones lower to 2 higher. Made by MR Maker from a public-domain score.
Last reviewed:
Backing track by key
The original key is G major. If it sits too high or too low for your voice, try the shifted versions and pick the one you can sing comfortably.
3 semitones lower (E major)
2 semitones lower (F major)
Original key (G major)
2 semitones higher (A major)
About this song
John Mason Neale wrote this St Stephen's Day carol in 1853 with his music editor Thomas Helmore, and it was issued that year in Carols for Christmas-tide by Novello. Its hero is Wenceslas, a tenth-century Duke of Bohemia who received a royal title only after his death. The melody is much older: TEMPUS ADEST FLORIDUM, a spring carol printed in the 1582 Piae Cantiones, a book then almost unknown in England. Hymnary.org lists the tune in G major, and it is sung in 4/4.
Rights
The melody is in the public domain (first published 1853). MR Maker made this accompaniment from a public-domain score. It contains no lyrics, translations or third-party recordings.
Need a backing track for another song?
Upload an audio file you have the rights to use, remove the vocals, and change the key.
Make a backing track from my file