Classics for a Traditional Christmas, Level 2: Viola
Featuring: Carols for Strings / In a Christmas Mood / DECKorations
Grade: 2
Item: 00-PC-0014608_VA1
$5.99
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Description
Stretch your performance music budget further with a collection of pieces for the price of one! The Alfred and Belwin Signature Performance Series combine several best-selling pieces by our popular composers and arrangers into one set of score and parts. Made for young bands and orchestras, each set contains full-length pieces that can be used together in one concert or separately, with themes such as classic popular Christmas, movies, international, pop, and Classics appropriate for Contest. Also available for choir and handbell choir. Enjoy quality music at a great value price! Titles: Carols for Strings * In a Christmas Mood * DECKorations.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Classics for a Traditional Christmas, Level 2: Viola 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:
Alfred Signature Performance Series for Orchestra
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
276
SKU:
00-PC-0014608_VA1
More about this title
About the Arranger: Edmund J. Siennicki
Edmund J. Siennicki's path to composition began with a formative childhood encounter: at age 12, he met Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a moment that shaped his musical direction for decades to come. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Kent State University, where he composed the school's fight song (still performed at football games), and later completed his MA at Teachers College, Columbia University, studying composition with Herbert Elwell and electronic music with Sergio Barroso while consulting with Vincent Persichetti.
Siennicki built a dual career as both a performer and composer, playing bassoon and piano professionally while teaching in Cleveland's junior high schools and serving on the faculties of Michigan and Kent State University. His compositional output includes roughly 200 published works, many of which have won prizes in National School Orchestra composition contests. He spent two residencies at the MacDowell Colony and has received continuous recognition from ASCAP for the past two decades, continuing to compose, visit schools, and lead clinics.
Why we love this
This collection stretches your music budget while delivering three substantial, concert-ready pieces arranged by experienced composers who understand what works for young orchestras. Each piece stands alone or programs together seamlessly, giving you flexibility to build a cohesive Christmas concert or pull individual selections throughout your season without the expense of purchasing separate publications.
What to expect
These arrangements bring warmth and familiarity to the Christmas season without oversimplifying the musical content. Young players will recognize the melodies and feel the satisfaction of shaping recognizable carols while strengthening their ensemble skills through carefully balanced voicing and straightforward but idiomatic string writing.
Who it's for
String orchestra directors seeking repertoire for Grade 2 ensembles that combines beloved Christmas traditions with accessible arrangements. This collection works equally well for beginning-to-intermediate students who need confidence-building concert material and for more experienced groups looking to maximize their performance schedule within budget constraints.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the ensemble carefully in "Carols for Strings," where traditional melodies can easily overshadow accompaniment lines; encourage violins to listen for the inner voices rather than dominating.
- In "In a Christmas Mood," attend to dynamic control in the sustained passages. Young players tend to swell unintentionally; mark the score clearly and rehearse these sections with a metronome to maintain evenness.
- "DECKorations" benefits from crisp articulation and rhythmic precision. Use the accompaniment recording (if available separately) to lock in ensemble timing without relying on a conductor.
- Check that all players understand the stylistic differences among the three pieces before combining them in one program; "Carols for Strings" requires reverence, while "DECKorations" asks for brightness and energy.
How to use it
Program all three pieces together for a complete Christmas concert, or select individual movements to anchor different segments of a holiday celebration. "Carols for Strings" and "In a Christmas Mood" pair well with vocal performances, while "DECKorations" offers an energetic closer or opening that invites choir or other ensembles to join.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing melody and accompaniment across string sections
- Playing sustained tones with consistent tone quality and intonation
- Reading and executing clear articulation markings (staccato, legato, marcato)
- Responding to dynamic contrasts within a single phrase
- Coordinating ensemble rhythm across independent string parts