There are a wide variety of tunes for “Away in a Manger“. Simone Collins has arranged the 3 most common tunes, in a variety of formats and levels of difficulty.
From beginners working in a 5 finger position on piano to varying levels of “beginner” and “very easy”, everyone can play and sing these arrangements!
These arrangements are either in:
- a singable key (in this case, F major)
- a 5 finger position for beginners, in a key with no sharps or flats, with each hand playing no more than 5 notes either side of middle C, and a simplified melody to avoid quavers / eighth notes
There are a variety of collections to choose from, depending on the choice of tune and/or level of difficulty. They include all 3 verses of this Christmas carol.
The 3 Main “Away in a Manger” Tunes
Mueller (USA)
The most commonly published tune for "Away in a Manger" is known as "Mueller", as it is attributed to composer Carl Mueller. However, it was first published by American composer James R Murray (1841 - 1905) in his collection "Dainty Songs for Little Lads and Lasses" in 1887. He called it "Luther's Cradle Hymn", and claimed it was "composed by Martin Luther for his children", which was not the case.
This is the tune most commonly found in the USA.
Cradle Song (British Commonwealth / Europe)
The next most commonly found tune for "Away in a Manger" is called "Cradle Song", written by American composer William J. Kirkpatrick (1838 - 1921). It was first published in the collection "Around the World With Christmas" in 1895, also under the title "Luther's Cradle Hymn". It was said to represent "the German Fatherland", however the tune is not German.
This is the version most commonly sung in the UK, Australia, and Canada.
Flow Gently, Sweet Afton (USA)
At some point before 1897, someone set the words of "Away in a Manger" to Jonathan E. Spilman's 1838 melody "Flow Gently, Sweet Afton".
In December 1945, Richard Hill published in the "Music Library Association Notes (second series) III no 1" that there were 41 different versions of "Away in a Manger". At that time, this tune was the second most published version.
It is still a popular alternative in North America.
“Away In A Manger” Sheet Music Options
The lead sheets / fake book contain the melody with chord symbols plus lyrics, suitable for piano / organ / vocal / guitar etc.
- For piano teachers & students, pick the collection for your preferred tune, for increasing level of difficulty of the accompaniment. A studio license is included.
- For organists & more experienced players, the fake book / lead sheets allow you to add your own accompaniment.
Lead Sheets
Fake book collection
Lead sheets of all 3 versions of the “Away in a Manger” tunes in F major with all 3 verses of lyrics.
Lead sheets are provided with and without lyrics under the melody, with a separate lyric sheet for singalongs (5 page PDF in A4 format)
Mueller – Piano Arrangements
The Mueller piano collection is an 8 page PDF in both A4 and US letter formats which contains 6 different arrangements:
* A lead sheet in F major
* A 5 finger position song for beginners – both a single page version, and a double page version with very large notes and a fingering chart
* Two different very easy piano versions in F major with extremely simple left hand accompaniments
* An easy piano version in F major with wider chords and an introduction
Listen to the very easy piano arrangement of the “Mueller” tune with single note broken chords:
Listen to the easy piano arrangement of the “Mueller” tune with an introduction and wider chords:
Cradle Song – Piano Arrangements
Con Brio Examinations – Piano Grade 1
An arrangement of the “Cradle Song” tune at grade 1 level has been accepted for the Con Brio Examinations piano syllabus. This single page arrangement doesn’t have lyrics included. It has an introduction and one verse of “Away in a Manger” with single note broken chord accompaniment. (2 page PDF including cover sheet)
Watch the video of this arrangement
The Cradle piano collection is an 8 page PDF in A4 format which contains 6 different arrangements:
* 1 x lead sheet in F major
* 2 x 5 finger position song for beginners (C major) – both a single page version, and a double page version with very large notes and a fingering chart
* 2 x very easy piano versions in F major with extremely simple left hand accompaniments
* 1 x easy piano version in F major with wider chords and an introduction
Listen to the very easy piano version of the “Cradle Song” tune with single note broken chord accompaniment:
Listen to the easy piano version of the “Cradle Song” tune with an introduction:
Flow Gently, Sweet Afton – Piano Arrangements
The Flow Gently piano collection is a 5 page PDF which contains 4 arrangements:
* 1 x lead sheet in F major
* 2 x very easy piano versions in F major with single note left hand accompaniments
* 1 x easy piano version in F major with wider chords and an introduction
Listen to the very easy piano version of the “Flow Gently, Sweet Afton” tune with single note broken chord accompaniment:
Listen to the easy piano version of the “Flow Gently, Sweet Afton” tune with the introduction: