Deck the Hall of the Mountain King: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Themes from "Deck the Halls" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King," with apologies to Edvard Grieg.
By Edvard Grieg / arr. Richard Meyer
Grade: 2.5
Item: 00-PK-0007375
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Description
This totally unique (and somewhat crazy!) selection by Richard Meyer will be the hit of your holiday concert! Your audience will be delighted when they hear what happens when the festive Welsh carol "Deck the Halls" is combined with the dark and mysterious "Hall of the Mountain King" from Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite. Many key playing skills---including accidentals, tempo changes, and important balance issues---are reinforced throughout. Sleigh bells and crash cymbals add just the right amount of color to this fun, good-natured seasonal gem. (2:10)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Deck the Hall of the Mountain King: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts 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:
Highland/Etling String Orchestra
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
128
SKU:
00-PK-0007375
More about this title
About the Composer: Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg (1843, 1907) shaped the sound of Scandinavian music by drawing deeply from Norwegian folk melodies, harmonic innovation, and Romantic expression. His gift for orchestration and character development made works like the Peer Gynt Suites enduring fixtures of the concert hall, beloved for their dramatic range and accessibility.
Grieg's music lives in rehearsal rooms worldwide because it rewards student musicians with vivid storytelling, clear harmonic logic, and moments that demand real musical maturity. Teachers return to his works across multiple grade levels, discovering fresh pedagogical possibilities with each encounter.
Why we love this
Richard Meyer's mashup transforms a familiar carol into something genuinely surprising without losing either tune's character. The arrangement reinforces essential technical skills (accidentals, tempo navigation, balance between sections) while keeping the energy playful and seasonal. Your students will feel the theatrical payoff, and your audience will be caught off guard in the best possible way.
What to expect
The piece opens with the warm, familiar glow of a beloved holiday carol, then gradually shifts into something mischievous and mysterious. Grieg's brooding "Hall of the Mountain King" sneaks in and tangles with the Welsh tune, creating a theatrical tension that's playful rather than ominous. Sleigh bells and cymbals add a winking nod to the season's festive chaos.
Who it's for
Grade 2.5 string orchestras ready to tackle a holiday program with genuine musical substance. This works for orchestras that can handle accidentals and tempo changes with confidence, and for conductors who want their students to experience how arrangers reimagine familiar material.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the two tempos clearly in rehearsal. The shift between 'Deck the Halls' and 'Hall of the Mountain King' needs to feel intentional, not accidental. Mark both tempos at rehearsal start and return to them frequently.
- Balance the sleigh bells and crash cymbals so they enhance the arrangement without overwhelming the strings. These percussion colors matter to the arrangement's fun spirit, but the string writing is the backbone.
- Watch the accidentals in the transitions between keys. Meyer uses chromatic movement to bridge the two themes, and intonation precision here makes the seam disappear.
- Bring out the contrasting character: keep 'Deck the Halls' bright and straightforward, then lean into the darker, more dramatic energy when 'Hall of the Mountain King' appears. The interplay between moods is what makes this work.
How to use it
This is a showstopper closer for a holiday concert, or a smart opener that sets a tone of musical surprise. Pair it with straight seasonal repertoire (carols, traditional holiday pieces) to let the contrast work. Its 2:10 duration fits comfortably into any concert flow.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing accidentals in chromatic passages
- Navigating tempo changes and maintaining ensemble cohesion across different tempos
- Balancing melodic lines between sections during thematic transitions
- Achieving controlled dynamics and articulation to distinguish two contrasting musical characters
- Ensemble coordination in passages featuring independent part-writing