A Very Special Christmas: Piano Book

Warm and congregational, these arrangements honor the emotional directness of Christmas carols while introducing the harmonic sophistication that intermediate players are developing. There's comfort in the familiarity of these melodies paired with the subtle pleasure of discovering how chord changes and accompanying figures can transform them.

Intermediate pianists preparing Christmas recitals, church holiday services, or winter concert appearances. Private studio teachers building seasonal repertoire lists and directors seeking appropriate piano solos for holiday programs will find complete pieces ready for performance without supplementary editing.

• Maintain steady pulse through the slower hymn-style pieces like 'Silent Night' and 'O Come, All Ye Faithful.' These arrangements benefit from a confident tempo that lets the harmony breathe rather than rushing.
• Balance melody and accompaniment in arrangements with thicker textures. Voice the right hand clearly so the carol remains the focal point even when left-hand figures become busier.
• Shape phrases by listening ahead. Many of these pieces span four or eight measures; plan your dynamic arc and pedal changes to avoid muddying successive harmonies in arrangements with richer voicings.
• Experiment with tempo flexibility in 'What Child Is This' and 'Go Tell It on the Mountain' to bring out their distinct characters within the intermediate level.

Feature several pieces across a holiday recital to showcase range—pair a gentle 'Away in a Manger' with a more rhythmic 'Joy to the World' to demonstrate versatility. These work equally well as opening or closing selections in a church service, or grouped together as a complete caroling suite in a mixed concert. The consistent intermediate level means you can sequence them by tempo or key rather than difficulty.

• Reading and performing chord progressions with varied harmonic rhythm
• Balancing independence between hands in arrangements with flowing accompaniment patterns
• Shaping longer phrases (4-8 measure units) with dynamic and pedal control
• Interpreting articulation and tempo in sacred music contexts
• Sight-reading through ten different arrangements of familiar melodies