Joseph M. Martin studied piano performance at Furman University and earned a master's degree in the same field from the University of Texas at Austin, where he later taught in the Piano Pedagogy Department for five years. A prize winner of the Nina Plant Wideman Competition, he has performed as a soloist with orchestras across the United States and Mexico, including the Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra, and his recital work has been broadcast nationally.
Martin's prolific output as a composer and arranger now reaches congregations and concert halls across North America, from Carnegie Hall to hundreds of churches in the United States and Canada. He divides his time between concert performances and his growing involvement in church music and conferences for church musicians. He makes his home in Austin, Texas with his wife Sue and their children Jonathan and Aubrey.
Why we love this
Martin's gift for writing singable, expressive lines without overshooting the technical demands of a 2-part ensemble makes this collection immediately accessible to developing choirs. The arrangements respect both the sacred character of the season and the need for pieces that sound fuller and more sophisticated than their difficulty level suggests.
What to expect
Warm and traditional while remaining fresh. The writing centers joy and devotion without sentimentality, letting straightforward melodic material and simple harmonic progressions create moments of real beauty.
Who it's for
Directors building a flexible Christmas repertoire for treble, youth, or mixed choirs that may not yet be ready for full four-part writing. These arrangements work equally well for parish churches, school groups, and community choruses seeking approachable material that still delivers musical substance.
How to get the most out of it
Establish the homophonic passages with confidence; let Part 1 and Part 2 lock in rhythmically so the harmonic sonority reads clearly.
Attend to any divisi sections by having singers mark their part clearly and rehearse separately before combining voices.
Balance the inner harmony against the melody so listeners hear a unified musical line supported by genuine harmonic color.
Record a rehearsal run-through to identify spots where ensemble diction needs tightening, especially if you're performing without accompaniment.
How to use it
Slot these into a Christmas service or concert as a solid middle section that bridges the more elaborate works or soloists on your program. The eight pages give you multiple song options; consider programming different selections across different services or selecting two or three as a suite to showcase your choir's range.
Skills your students will build
Two-part harmonic singing with independent melodic awareness
Sight-reading within a limited but meaningful range
Blend and balance in homophonic textures
Responsiveness to text expression in sacred context
Concert preparation and performance stamina across multiple shorter works
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