God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Robinson's arrangement captures something genuinely clever without asking your choir to sound like a jazz ensemble they're not. The asymmetric rhythms borrowed from "Take Five" sit naturally alongside the carol's familiar contours, and every voice part gets rewarding melodic material rather than relegated to background harmony. The "doo bop" sections feel fun rather than gimmicky, and the recorded accompaniment actually enhances learning instead of replacing it.

Sophisticated but not stuffy. The piece opens with the comforting architecture of a beloved carol, then pivots into unexpected rhythmic territory that feels both modern and swinging. There's a conversational quality as voices trade the melody back and forth, and the jazz harmonies add color without overwhelming the carol's essential character.

Directors programming holiday concerts who want something past the standard carol arrangements but still rooted in tradition. Choirs with decent rhythmic security and the ability to handle some harmonic color will find this especially satisfying, though the accessibility of the melody and straightforward voice parts make it workable for most community and school ensembles.

• Nail the articulation on those "doo bop" passages early in rehearsal. Crisp, light consonants will make the jazz vocabulary sit properly without sounding forced.
• Have each section mark where their voice carries the melody so they understand how Robinson distributes the tune across the choir. This ownership makes tuning and phrasing much sharper.
• Use the SoundTrax CD to model the intended groove, but pull it away during the final rehearsals so your singers feel the rhythm internally rather than relying on the recording.

This works beautifully as a concert centerpiece that signals you're not settling for the obvious. Pair it with a more traditional carol earlier in your program to create a "then and now" arc, or use it as the final selection to leave audiences remembering your choir's musicianship and imagination. It's substantial enough to stand alone as a showcase moment, not filler.

• Singing jazz articulation and phrasing within a choral context
• Tracking asymmetric rhythms (5/4 meter implied by the "Take Five" influence) against a familiar melodic framework
• Trading melody lines and understanding voice independence while maintaining ensemble cohesion
• Interpreting harmonic color and contemporary jazz harmony choices in a sacred context