Countdown to Christmas: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

Craig-Claar and Hayes have created a novelty piece that actually works in performance. The countdown concept gives the piece built-in momentum and humor, and the secular framing means you can program it in any December context without liturgical constraints. The arrangement sits comfortably in community, school, and semi-professional choirs.

The countdown structure creates anticipatory energy; each measure builds toward the next moment with playful momentum. The piece lands somewhere between novelty song and legitimate choral arrangement, with harmonic support that lets singers feel they're performing real music rather than gimmickry.

This works well for mixed or treble choirs at intermediate-to-advanced levels seeking holiday concert material that's fun without being juvenile. Directors programming December concerts that lean secular or need a palate cleanser between carols will find this both musically satisfying and audience-friendly.

• Lock the rhythmic precision of the countdown sections with your rhythm section or recorded accompaniment; even slight dragging here undermines the piece's comedic timing.
• Shape the dynamic arcs between countdown moments to maintain listener engagement across the full arrangement.
• Use the instrumental parts to reinforce harmonic support and add textural interest if you have players available, but the piece stands as a choral feature on its own.

Schedule this midway through a holiday concert to shift energy after a group of traditional carols, or use it as a finale to leave audiences smiling. The recorded accompaniment option lets you program it flexibly regardless of your instrumental resources.

• Rhythmic precision in novelty/comedic contexts
• Maintaining ensemble articulation and timing under recorded accompaniment
• Dynamic control and phrasing in non-traditional choral arrangements