A Jolly Merry Christmas: 2-Part Mixed Choral Octavo

Leavitt's holiday arrangements have the rare quality of feeling fresh without losing the warmth that makes Christmas music resonate with audiences. This 2-part setting opens the repertoire to younger or less experienced choirs who still deserve to perform with musicality and joy, not just simplicity for its own sake.

A warm, unpretentious celebration. The writing feels conversational and genuine rather than overwrought, letting the text and the season do the emotional lifting. You'll find moments of gentle humor alongside genuine tenderness.

This works for middle school choirs, freshman/sophomore high school groups, or any ensemble still building confidence in 2-part work. Community choirs and church groups seeking accessible yet musical holiday repertoire will find it equally useful.

• Balance melody and harmony throughout. In 2-part writing, both lines carry equal weight; guard against letting the first part overshadow the second.
• Shape phrases with breath, not just at marked breath marks. Holiday texts naturally suggest where voices should lift and renew energy.
• Consider strategic unison moments to emphasize text or give singers relief from part-singing; check whether the arrangement offers these or whether you want to create them.

Pair this with a cappella or unaccompanied pieces to showcase different facets of your choir's sound. It's substantial enough to anchor a holiday concert set and light enough to program alongside larger works without exhausting your singers.

• Singing independent melodic lines in a 2-part texture
• Balancing blend and intonation without conductor cueing on every entrance
• Shaping musical phrases within a shorter form
• Confident execution of holiday style and diction