Christmas Fare: SA(B) Choral Book

Christmas Fare refuses the predictable path of relentless cheer. Pairing spirited, rhythmically engaging arrangements (Troika and the title track) with genuinely touching ballads creates a concert set that feels complete and human rather than saccharine. Young singers get to inhabit different moods, which builds their interpretive range and keeps their engagement high.

A concert that moves. The jazzy arrangements sparkle with contemporary rhythmic energy and contemporary harmonic language, while the ballads offer moments of genuine tenderness and musical depth. Together, they create the feeling of a curated evening rather than a grab-bag of holiday songs.

Young and newly-formed choirs, including middle school groups, developing high school ensembles, and community choirs just building confidence. The collection works equally well for singers with limited sight-reading experience and those ready for straightforward two-part writing with optional divisi.

• The jazzy numbers need rhythmic precision from the start. Lock the SA parts together on basic syllables before adding text, then layer the harmony.
• Contrast is your primary interpretive tool. Let the slower ballads breathe and sit in the beauty of the harmony; use that restraint to make the livelier pieces feel even more energetic by comparison.
• In pieces that include optional B parts, determine your voicing plan early. Decide whether all singers learn both SA or whether specific singers take the divisi, then rehearse consistently with that formation.

Structure your concert around this collection as the centerpiece. Open with one of the spirited pieces to establish energy, move into a ballad for contrast and emotional investment, then close with the other upbeat arrangement to send the audience out satisfied. This pairing also works well as a substantial choral block within a larger end-of-term show.

• Reading two-part harmony with optional divisi
• Rhythmic precision in contemporary jazz idioms
• Interpretation of contrasting emotional content within a single concert set
• Blending voices across a limited range
• Building confidence with accessible yet musically rewarding material