God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Moore takes a beloved holiday standard and reimagines it through a jazz lens, setting it in an unconventional 5/4 meter that keeps the arrangement fresh and engaging rather than nostalgic. The writing balances accessibility with musicality: unison passages and basic scat singing make the piece achievable for mixed-ability choirs, while the harmonic sophistication gives accomplished groups real musical substance to sink their teeth into.

The arrangement channels cool jazz sophistication while keeping the carol's melodic identity intact. Smooth unisons glide over hip chord progressions, and moments of scat singing inject playfulness and rhythmic buoyancy that feel contemporary without losing the festive warmth of the season.

Choirs seeking a Christmas repertoire option that moves beyond traditional or sentimental treatments will find this arrangement rewarding. It works especially well for groups with jazz or contemporary music experience, though any choir with secure music-reading skills and comfort with modest rhythmic complexity can master it.

• Establish the 5/4 feel clearly in early rehearsals by having singers count aloud during warm-ups; the meter will feel natural once the pulse locks in across the section.
• Shape the scat-singing sections with light articulation and conversational phrasing rather than overly precise diction; the goal is a laid-back groove, not precision.
• Balance the jazz chords by ensuring inner voices are secure and audible; weak harmonic support will undermine the sophisticated sonority Moore has written.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to anchor the ensemble during early rehearsals, then gradually reduce reliance on it so singers internalize the rhythmic and harmonic content.

Position this as a mid-concert pacing shift on a holiday concert, offering contrast to more traditional carols or sacred pieces. It also pairs well with other contemporary or genre-bent holiday arrangements, creating a thematic set that showcases the choir's stylistic range.

• Reading and maintaining 5/4 meter in choral context
• Basic jazz articulation and phrasing
• Scat-singing technique for choral ensemble
• Secure harmonic listening and blend in jazz chord progressions
• Stylistic flexibility and genre awareness