All I Want For Christmas Is You (arr. Martin Cornelissen): SSAA Choral Octavo

Cornelissen's arrangement captures the song's instantly recognizable hook while giving SSAA voices room to shine individually and collectively. The 142 pages suggest extensive sectional writing and divisi work, which means your singers get meaningful material to develop independence while maintaining the track's pop sensibility. Programs looking to include contemporary repertoire without sacrificing musicianship will find this a genuinely useful choice.

Energetic and bright, anchored by a melody that lodges itself instantly in listeners' ears. The arrangement builds from intimate sectional moments to fuller textures, creating dynamic arc and keeping audiences engaged throughout.

Choirs seeking contemporary repertoire that connects with student singers and audiences alike. Groups with solid sectional reading skills and enough voices to cover SSAA divisi with confidence.

• Pay close attention to the vowel shapes on the famous melodic hook. Consistency across the section will make the signature phrase crisp and unified.
• Balance your upper voices carefully during divisi passages. The clarity of this arrangement depends on hearing each line distinctly without anyone getting buried.
• Let the rhythm section (if using accompaniment) establish the groove before your singers lock in. This song lives in its pocket, and ensemble time depends on steady foundational support.
• Mark dynamics conservatively. The arrangement likely has frequent changes that support the song's emotional arc, and hitting those shifts together will shape the overall performance quality.

This works well as a closer on a holiday or winter concert, especially if you're programming a mix of traditional and contemporary music. It can also function as an excellent bridge piece for building connections between your serious concert repertoire and your singers' musical lives outside of formal training.

• Singing contemporary pop melodies with classical vocal technique
• Reading and balancing multiple divisi lines
• Achieving ensemble precision across sectional changes and dynamic shifts
• Interpreting rhythmic syncopation within a choral context
• Developing confidence performing widely recognized material