Christmas Music

[sparkling_quavers]

Having promised BBD's conductor that I would compile a list of christmas music I thought I would turn to tMP for help I know it can be difficult to find any DECENT Christmas music but what have you all found that you like? I like Santa Claustrophia (or whatever it is called) and the Snowman. Any newer pieces?

 

[JessopSmythe]

Frosty the Snowman, if you've got a good Eb Bass or Bass Trom

 

[Janet Watkins]

For a 'serious' piece:

A Christmas Overture by John Golland.

Janet

 

[tubatu]

Troika (I think that's the spelling), is a superb piece of music.
If you want something free of charge, try O Come Emmanuel http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_score.pl?scoreid=16728 from sibeliusmusic.com. You'll need to have Scorch installed to be able to view, play and print it.

 

[Roger Thorne]

Any newer pieces?

Have a look at these Rachel.

Christmas Chimes
Coventry Carol
Calypso Carol
Good King Wenceslas - Euph Solo, Air Varie (free solo part available)
Jingle Bells Forever
Jingle Bells Swing

You can view the scores and listen to the pieces in Full by clicking on the links below.

:wink:

 

[WorldofBrass.com]

I can recommend the Salvation Armys 'Christmas Marches and Settings' which has 32 titles by such names as Peter Graham, Eric Ball, Les Condon, Ray Steadman-Allen, Ray Bowes and so on.
The score is £35.00 and parts are £3.50 each so you can buy as many or as few as you need for your particular band.

We also have limited stocks of the American Band Journal on special offer at £21.99 for score and parts. Some of these are Christmas editions.

Send me an email or Private Message if you would like some more information.

 

[onedrummeruk]

Xmas stuff

Grimethorpe did a recording called "A white Christmas with Grimethorpe" which has the more up beat christmas stuff rather than just the carols. you can see a list here near the bottom of the page http://www.grimethorpeband.com/main_frogs_merchandise_cd.htm

 

[Maestro]

I like the Richard Phillips arrangement of "Who Is He"......got a lovely euph part, just right for the end of a 2 hour concert.

 

[PeterBale]

Bill Himes "Three Kings Swing" is a good number to liven up a Christmas concert.

 

[Mike Saville]

Bill Himes "Three Kings Swing" is a good number to liven up a Christmas concert.

Yeah, and you can repeat the middle section so that you have many solos (not just rep). Works if you have a few 'jazzers' in your band

 

[markyboy]

A couple of pieces I have played over the last few Christmases are Gaudette arr. Newton and Kingdom Triumphant by Eric Ball which are xmas pieces but can be used all the year round. Same goes for Midnight Sleighride arr. Farr which is very popular (great sop part too). For an ecore Derek Broadbent's Jingle Bells is pretty cheesy but always goes down very well.

Mark Wears. Pennine Brass.

 

[andywooler]

Try Mark Freeh's White Christmas.
(Warners)

 

[Aidan]

4 dances from the nutcracker suite.. top arrangements.. forgot who did them but was commissioned for the brass band of battle creek. Could have been snell :S ?
That fab arrangement of the snowman (sparke i think)
broadbents cheesy hoedown version of jingle bells
santaclaustrophobia by sandy smith (its a classic!!!)
there is a set of christmas carols arranged with fanfare introductions which are decent and work well with choirs too.. dunno who they are by though
theres a nice flug solo version of away in the manger
and a classy Eb bass/bass trom solo of frosty the snowman by sandy smith again (written for mark frost ironically )

cant think of any more at the moment. so you're lucky

 

[andywooler]

more freeh stuff!

I would guess that would be Mark Freeh's Nutcracker Suite that Battle Creek had - that's also in the Warner catalogue (funnily enough we're doing it at a prom next week!)

 

[Aidan]

ahh yes thats the one.. snell.. freeh.. sound the same

 

[PeterBale]

there is a set of christmas carols arranged with fanfare introductions which are decent and work well with choirs too.. dunno who they are by though

Most of these were originally done by David Willcocks for the Carols for Choirs series, and Ray Steadman-Allen has done the band transcriptions.

Just one word of warning: only for bands that don't mind lots of sharps :!: :!: :!:

 

[bladder]

theres a nice flug solo version of away in the manger

Goff Richards, I believe, with choir?

 

[Aidan]

there is a set of christmas carols arranged with fanfare introductions which are decent and work well with choirs too.. dunno who they are by though

Most of these were originally done by David Willcocks for the Carols for Choirs series, and Ray Steadman-Allen has done the band transcriptions.

Just one word of warning: only for bands that don't mind lots of sharps :!: :!: :!:

and bloody high descant solo horn parts!

 

[bladder]

and bloody high descant solo horn parts!

...unison w/sop again...

 

[Mike Saville]

...unison w/sop again...

. . do Sops play anything in unison???? :lol: