A Holiday Fiesta! Cover Image

A Holiday Fiesta!: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

$29.99 USD
Sale price  $29.99 USD Regular price 
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A Holiday Fiesta! Cover Image

A Holiday Fiesta!: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

(A Partner Song with "Dale, Dale, Dale")

Arr. Mary Donnelly and George L. O. Strid

Item: 00-A-00014699

$29.99
Digital Download
Description

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-A-00014699

More about this title

About the Arranger: Mary Donnelly

Mary Donnelly

Mary Donnelly and George L. O. Strid have built a thirty-year collaborative partnership rooted in accessible, performance-ready choral writing. Donnelly earned degrees in English and French from the University of Nevada, Reno, and later completed a Master's in Education at Lesley College, where she studied arts integration across the curriculum. She spent three decades teaching general music and choir in Nevada's Washoe County School District before retiring.

The pair first met in 1985 while team-teaching sixth-grade music and were asked to compose a musical for Reading Week. That initial project launched a prolific writing team that has since created over two hundred songs and twenty-five musicals. Their work prioritizes clarity, energy, and practicality for school ensembles.

Why we love this

Donnelly and Strid have a gift for layering holiday traditions into arrangements that sound fuller and more sophisticated than their modest vocal ranges require. The recorded accompaniment keeps rehearsals focused on blend and intonation while your singers enjoy the confidence of professional-quality support.

What to expect

A Holiday Fiesta! radiates warmth and celebration, blending folk and traditional melodies into an arrangement that feels both familiar and fresh. The accompaniment propels the piece forward with rhythmic drive, creating the sense of a party in full swing rather than a formal holiday concert number.

Who it's for

Treble, mixed, and men's choruses at middle school through community levels will find this arrangement accessible and rewarding. Directors seeking holiday repertoire that combines traditional material with contemporary energy will appreciate the approachable vocal writing and professional accompaniment support.

How to get the most out of it

  • Let the recorded accompaniment set a steady, energetic tempo during early rehearsals so singers can lock in the melodic lines without worrying about conducting cues.
  • Highlight the rhythmic vitality in the accompaniment by asking singers to feel the pulse rather than count; this keeps the performance festive and reduces tension.
  • Balance ensemble sections carefully against any solo or small-group passages so the arrangement maintains clarity and showcases both collective and individual moments.
  • Rehearse with the digital audio from the start to avoid relearning phrasing or dynamics when you finally sing with accompaniment.

How to use it

Use this piece as an anchor in a winter concert's second half to shift the mood from reverent to joyful. It pairs well alongside both serious sacred repertoire and lighter secular selections, and its energy makes it an excellent closer if you want the audience leaving with smiles.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing over a steady recorded accompaniment without drifting in tempo
  • Balancing individual melodic lines within a fuller choral texture
  • Performing with rhythmic precision in folk-inflected material
  • Projecting energy and character across a full holiday arrangement

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