A Quiet Christmas: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$45.00 USD

A Quiet Christmas: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: A Quiet Christmas: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-26568
Price: 45.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Featuring: Away in a Manger / The Friendly Beasts / Silent Night

Traditional / arr. Carrie Lane Gruselle

Grade: 1

Item: 00-26568

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Here's a grouping of gentle Christmas tunes, all in 3/4 time: Away in a Manger, The Friendly Beasts and Silent Night. The viola doubles the second violin, and the bass doubles the cello, so it can be studied with nearly any instrumentation. Set entirely in first position and in keys comfortable to beginners, students will focus on tone, intonation and expression. The piano part is also provided. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, A Quiet Christmas: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Highland/Etling String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 33

UPC: 038081291673

SKU: 00-26568

More about this title

About the Arranger: Carrie Lane Gruselle

Carrie Lane Gruselle earned her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and her Master of Music Education from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, where she specialized in Suzuki pedagogy. She has taught elementary and middle school strings in the Appleton Area School District and serves as a cello instructor at the Lawrence University Arts Academy in Appleton, Wisconsin.

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Why we love this

Gruselle understands what beginning string students need to succeed: achievable keys, first-position comfort, and room to develop tone without fighting the music. All three pieces sit in 3/4 time, creating rhythmic coherence across the set while the flexible instrumentation (viola doubling second violin, bass doubling cello) means you can perform it with whatever students show up on concert day.

What to expect

Quiet reflection. These familiar carols breathe in the deliberate pace of 3/4, inviting students to listen for long, singing lines rather than chasing rhythmic complexity. The open keys and first-position writing let young players focus on the stillness and reverence the music naturally holds.

Who it's for

Beginning string orchestras (Grade 1) that want to program carols with substance and beauty. This set works equally well for schools building ensemble cohesion early in the year and for programs looking for accessible Christmas repertoire that doesn't rely on unison or simplified arrangement tricks.

How to get the most out of it

Approach the opening of each carol as a chance to model the tone quality you want from your section leaders; let them hear the difference between a mechanical first-position approach and one that sings.
Use the doubling parts strategically. If your viola and bass sections are building confidence, have them play with their doubled partners for the first run-through, then gradually separate them.
Keep a steady tempo across all three pieces to establish the gentle, contemplative mood; resist the urge to pull back so much that phrases lose direction.
Balance the piano part underneath rather than on top; it should support the string melody without competing for attention.

How to use it

Pair this set with one more energetic carol or secular holiday selection to create a complete winter concert second half. The gentle character makes it an ideal closer for a program that needs a reflective moment, or a first-half transition into more elaborate pieces.