Accent on Performance Holiday Collection: Percussion Book

These arrangements respect the percussion section by giving it genuine musical responsibility, not just timekeeping. Rather than relegating percussion to simple patterns, O'Reilly and Williams create parts that develop ensemble texture and help define the character of each arrangement, making them rewarding for students to perform.

Festive and purposeful. These arrangements capture the warmth of holiday music while maintaining the forward momentum and energy that young players thrive on. The percussion writing transforms familiar carols and contemporary holiday tunes into conversations between sections rather than simple backing tracks.

Directors building a winter concert program who want repertoire that engages percussion students as full ensemble members. Bands at the intermediate to early advanced level will find these arrangements accessible and musically substantial.

• Balance the percussion parts with the full band during rehearsal; these arrangements assume the percussion section carries important melodic or rhythmic material alongside the winds and brass, not underneath them.
• Treat the snare drum figures as phrasing opportunities. Pay attention to where the line breathes so your rhythmic interpretation supports the overall ensemble direction.
• Coordinate mallets and sticks within the section so timbre choices align across battery and pit. Consistency in tone color strengthens the ensemble blend.
• Work the rhythmic cues carefully with the conductor before full rehearsal. Many of these holiday arrangements feature syncopation or cross-rhythms that require precise coordination.

Select individual arrangements to complement a balanced winter concert, mixing traditional choices like the Early English Christmas with contemporary selections. The collection's breadth allows you to program across religious and secular holiday traditions, and the consistent level keeps rehearsal time efficient when you're preparing multiple pieces.

• Reading and executing rhythmic patterns across mixed meters and syncopated figures
• Coordinating multiple percussion voices within a single arrangement
• Responding to ensemble cues and maintaining section cohesion with winds and brass
• Interpreting articulation and dynamics to shape melodic and rhythmic lines