Christmas Time Is Here: Score
Arr. Bob Cerulli
Grade: 1
Item: 00-PR-0003570
$6.00
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Description
It's the holiday season, and here they come again, scampering across TV screens all over the world: Charlie Brown and his loveable little friends. All of your audience members will recognize the melody and be completely charmed by this very easy-play, quick-rehearsing Bob Cerulli arrangement. It adds the proverbial "warm and fuzzy" to your holiday concert programming. (2:23)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Christmas Time Is Here: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Pop Beginning String Orchestra
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
64
SKU:
00-PR-0003570
More about this title
About the Arranger: Bob Cerulli
Bob Cerulli brings a rare combination of professional orchestral experience and classroom expertise to his arrangements. A double bass graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, he went on to perform as Principal Bass for multiple regional symphonies and freelanced extensively in Philadelphia and Atlantic City, collaborating with composers like Henry Mancini and Michel LeGrand while appearing on national television. His own compositions have been performed by Philadelphia Orchestra musicians.
For nearly three decades, Cerulli shaped young musicians in public school classrooms before transitioning to higher education, where he continues as a Senior Adjunct Professor at Rowan College at Burlington County. His arrangement work reflects this dual background: he writes for beginning students with the ear of someone who has stood in professional orchestras and the patience of someone who has taught countless young musicians.
Why we love this
This arrangement captures the nostalgic warmth of Vince Guaraldi's original without overwhelming young orchestras. Cerulli's string writing respects the abilities of beginning players while keeping the melody front and center, so your audience hears exactly what they came to hear. It's a genuine crowd-pleaser that rehearses quickly and delivers professional results.
What to expect
Gentle and nostalgic, this arrangement wraps the iconic melody in soft, unfussy harmonies that feel like sitting by a fireplace. The familiar tune transforms the energy in the room; audiences instantly connect with the music and the moment becomes genuinely warm rather than performative.
Who it's for
Beginning string orchestras performing their first holiday concert. Young players need accessible arrangements with immediate payoff, and Grade 1 repertoire that the audience recognizes is a gift to any director building ensemble confidence.
How to get the most out of it
- Keep the tempo steady and gentle; this melody doesn't need pushing. Let the simplicity of the voicing speak for itself.
- Balance the melody line across your first violins so it projects warmly without sounding thin. Assign your strongest young players to lead this section.
- Use the parts as written without cutting divisi passages. Early exposure to split parts, even when easy, builds orchestral reading skills naturally.
How to use it
Place this early in your winter concert to set a calm, joyful tone before moving into more complex repertoire. It also works beautifully as a transition piece between sections of your program, giving young orchestras a confidence-building moment under the lights.
Skills your students will build
- Reading unison and divisi parts together
- Balancing melody and accompaniment in a full orchestra
- Sustaining consistent tempo across a longer melodic line
- Playing with lyrical expression in the upper strings