Christmas Is Just Around The Corner: 2-Part Choral Octavo

The two-part texture opens this holiday standard to choirs at intermediate stages, where unison feels limiting but SATB requires more finesse than your singers possess. Donnelly and Strid give each part genuine musical material rather than relying on parallel thirds, creating a piece that sounds fuller and more intentional than typical entry-level holiday fare.

Warm and anticipatory, capturing the excitement of the season without relying on orchestral density or complex harmonic language. The piece moves with natural momentum, inviting singers to lean into the text and listeners to recognize a beloved holiday sentiment expressed with clear, accessible writing.

Middle school and early high school choirs, community singing groups, and any ensemble seeking genuine two-part holiday material that avoids the oversimplified arrangements flooding the market. This works equally well for groups with limited rehearsal time and those building toward more complex voicings.

• Establish clear vowel shapes on sustained tones to maintain blend across both parts, especially where the melody sits high in the vocal range.
• Mark breath points collectively at the first rehearsal so singers develop consistent phrasing rather than individual breathing patterns that fragment the line.
• Balance the parts by occasionally having the second voicing sing slightly louder than the melody; this prevents the piece from feeling top-heavy and lets both groups share ownership of the sound.

Slot this into December concerts as a bridge between opening numbers and heavier sacred works, or pair it with other secular holiday selections to frame a program thematically. It also serves as an excellent second-semester piece for groups still building confidence, allowing directors to focus rehearsal energy on interpretation rather than technical problem-solving.

• Sustaining independent melodic lines in two-part texture
• Blending vowels across an ensemble while maintaining clear diction
• Responding to conducting cues that coordinate two separate vocal lines
• Phrasing with awareness of text meaning rather than harmonic cadences