The team here at Score Exchange have scoured through the extensive back catalogue at our disposal and selected 10 wonderful Christmas pieces arranged for concert band. The pieces range in difficulty but should all be realistic options for most junior and adult ensembles. Whether it’s a school Christmas concert or semi-professional yuletide gala event the following selections should be ideal!
1. A Merry Christmas
A Merry Christmas, also known as We Wish You A Merry Christmas, is one of the best loved secular pieces of music for Christmas events. The song was composed in the sixteenth century in the West Country region of England. This extended version has been described by the arranger as “bright” and has been lengthened to last around 2 minutes. Again, the arrangement is simple enough to be performed by junior/school ensembles whilst retaining the necessary detail and nuance for a more mature, developed group of musicians.
2. Joy To The World
Joy To The World has been a popular carol for generations. What better message can there be at Christmas than spreading joy throughout the world? The music was arranged in the eighteenth century by Lowell Mason from an earlier composition attributed to the renowned late-baroque composer Handel. This arrangement lasts around one and a half minutes and it’s recommended that the minimum ability level would be around grade 3.
3. Fourteen Easy Christmas Carols For Concert Band
This set of arrangements is a brilliant place to start for beginner level ensembles. The composer has selected 14 of the best loved Christmas carols and arranged them in a very simple way. The arranger notes the following: “The music in this arrangement is intended for beginners and should be playable by most students after a few months of study”.
Pieces included in this set are: Angels We’ve Heard On High, Away In a Manger, Deck The Halls, Silent Night, We Three Kings, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Come All Ye Faithful, Joy To The World, The First Noel, Good King Wenceslas, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, We Wish You A Merry Christmas and The Twelve Days Of Christmas.
4. The Twelve Days Of Christmas
This simple arrangement of the secular yuletide classic The Twelve Days of Christmas can be performed by even the most rudimentary musicians. This particular setting has been specifically designed for the audience (or choir) to sing along. The arrangement has been set out so that sections repeat which means each instrumental part fits on just one sheet of paper and allows the conductor (or band leader) to repeat or cut verses as desired.
5. Christmas Suite No. 3
Christmas Suite No. 3 for concert band is a lovely little setting of some less well known carols. Of course, just because a piece of music isn’t as well known as others that doesn’t mean the quality is reduced. This lively suite includes “In Dulci Jubilo”, the peaceful “Sussex Carol” and “The Holly and the Ivy” arranged in one continuous movement. The arranger has indicated that the musicians should be of roughly grade 3 standard and the piece lasts around 4 and a quarter minutes.
6. Ode To Joy
Composed by legendary classical composer Ludwig Van Beethoven, Ode to Joy (or Song of Joy) is a wonderful piece of music to hear at Christmas time. Taken from his 1824 work “Symphony No. 9 in D minor” this is a straight forward arrangement of the piece’s main theme arranged for concert band with optional piano accompaniment and various additional horn parts.
7. O Holy Night
O Holy Night is based on the French poem “Midnight, Christians” and works perfectly either as an instrumental piece or vocal performance with choir or audience singing. This concert band arrangement lasts around 5 minutes and is suitable for musicians of at least grade 3 standard.
8. Ding Dong! Merrily On High
Translated from it’s original Latin text this popular carol’s composer is unknown. Anonymous composers aside, this arrangement will make an excellent addition to any Christmas concert or carol service and works well as an instrumental or with choir/congregational backing. This concert band arrangement lasts around 3 minutes and is suitable for musicians of at least grade 3 standard.
9. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
This clever arrangement of Hark The Herald Angels Sing gives the main melody to different instruments across the wind band. This feature makes it ideal for a school or junior ensembles as it gives a wide range of performers a chance to shine. The arrangement lasts around 3 minutes and is suitable for musicians of at least grade 3 standard.
10. The First Noel
Our final choice is another arrangement that enables a variety of different instrumentalists and sections of the band to play interesting parts. The final verse features a descant and works well with choirs and congregational singing. As with all of our selections, this piece can be performed by wind bands of almost all ability levels and would make a great addition to any Christmas concert.
Score Exchange Team
