A Touch of Christmas: Suite 2: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

This suite moves with real momentum and personality. The arrangement takes a familiar medley concept and infuses it with specific orchestral colors (those castanets on the Ukrainian Bell Carol, the oboe solo spotlight) that keep players attentive and audiences entertained. Grade 3 bands get a polished, radio-ready holiday program without sacrificing musicianship or ensemble balance.

Warm, accessible, and buoyant. The suite carries genuine holiday spirit without sentiment or cliché; instead, it channels the energy of a professional pop orchestra distilled for school ensemble forces. Each movement has distinct character, yet they flow together as one suite rather than a random collection of carols.

Concert bands at the Grade 3 level seeking a cohesive holiday program that sounds polished without demanding advanced technique or extensive rehearsal time. This suite works equally well for groups new to Applebaum's arranging style and those familiar with his sophisticated approach to popular repertoire.

• Balance the castanet part in the opening Ukrainian Bell Carol so it adds shimmer without overwhelming the ensemble; this is orchestration color, not percussion feature.
• Let the oboe solo in The First Noel breathe with genuine vulnerability. This is your chance to showcase a principal player and offer contrast to the brighter, march-forward energy of the surrounding movements.
• Anchor the rhythmic pulse in Jolly Old Saint Nicholas and Jingle Bells with a clean, confident low brass foundation; the joy here comes from precision and articulation clarity, not rushing.
• Treat the transitions between movements as intentional moments. A half-second breath between sections lets each piece land before the next one launches.

Program this as your complete holiday concert or as the centerpiece of a winter pops celebration paired with shorter, contrasting selections. The suite's seven-minute arc is substantial enough to carry a full concert half on its own, or you might open a show with it and follow with chamber selections or soloists.

• Balancing independent melodic lines within a full ensemble texture
• Responding to orchestral color cues (castanets, oboe solo doubling)
• Maintaining stylistic consistency across multiple movements with different moods
• Rhythmic precision in march-style writing with syncopation and articulation clarity
• Ensemble cohesion through sectional transitions and tempo consistency