A Swingin' Christmas: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

Althouse knows how to make a holiday number swing without sacrificing singability or ensemble balance. The novelty treatment here captures the fun of a big-band Christmas without asking your singers to navigate impossible ranges or complex jazz harmonies, and the availability of instrumental parts means your accompaniment can sound as polished as your voices.

Big band energy wrapped in Christmas spirit. The arrangement swings with energy and style, delivering familiar holiday warmth through a modern, playful lens that keeps audiences engaged and singers smiling.

Holiday concert directors who want a secular, upbeat seasonal number that appeals to audiences beyond traditional carols. This works for intermediate to advanced choirs comfortable with swing rhythms and ensemble coordination.

• Lock in the rhythmic pocket early in rehearsal by having singers tap the backbeat while you conduct; the swing feel depends on precision, not looseness.
• Layer the recorded accompaniment into full rehearsals at least two weeks before performance so singers can hear how their parts sit within the full arrangement.
• Highlight any divisi passages in sectional rehearsals to ensure both parts lock together; blend matters as much as accuracy in swing style.

Reserve this for the lighter half of your holiday concert, perhaps as a closer or a palate-cleanser between more serious seasonal pieces. It pairs well on a program with both traditional carols and contemporary holiday selections.

• Swing rhythm and syncopation
• Ensemble balance in a jazz-inflected idiom
• Precision articulation for rhythmic clarity
• Coordinate with recorded accompaniment cues