Christmas Time Is Here (arr. Robert Sterling): TTBB Choral Octavo

Nostalgic with a knowing wink. The familiar melody gets dressed up in sophisticated harmony, creating something that feels both timeless and fresh. There's an ease to it, a coolness that never loses the carol's underlying tenderness.

Men's and mixed choirs looking for a contemporary holiday selection that still honors the tune's warmth. Ensembles comfortable with jazz harmony will find this rewarding; singers new to jazz voicings will grow quickly learning it.

• Balance the solo or featured line against the harmonic background; the jazz colors work best when the tune stays melodically clear.
• Lean into the swing feel if the arrangement calls for it; resist the urge to sing it straight or overly legit.
• Tune the seventh and ninth chords carefully, as they define the jazz character. Spend rehearsal time on chord quality, not just blend.

Pair this with a traditional arrangement of another holiday standard to show stylistic range, or use it as the closer on a concert that mixes genres. It works beautifully in a secular holiday program where you want to acknowledge popular repertoire alongside classical or spiritual fare.

• Reading jazz voicings and seventh/ninth chord sonorities
• Singing with rhythmic independence over swing rhythms
• Adapting vocal production to contemporary harmonic language
• Part independence across flexible ensemble configurations