Goin' on a Sleigh Ride: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo
Jingle Bells / Over the River
Arr. Sally K. Albrecht
Item: 00-PO-0004211
$2.25
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Hear the "clip, clop" of horses hooves and the sparkle of sleigh bells in this vivacious pairing of two winter-time favorites: Jingle Bells and Over the River with hints of Up On The Housetop thrown in for fun). After an opening fanfare, we hear a sprightly 4/4 arrangement of Over the River, a repeat of the fanfare, then bouncy Jingle Bells before building to a final fanfare. Sally Albrecht's vocal arrangement works wonderfully with the straightforward band arrangement by John O'Reilly. The perfect choice for your holiday concerts.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0004211
More about this title
About the Arranger: Sally K. Albrecht
Sally K. Albrecht has spent her career at the intersection of choral writing and music education. An ASCAP award recipient since 1987, she has published over 600 choral works and directed honor choirs at venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center. For more than thirty years, she shaped choral education as Director of School Choral, Vocal, and Elementary Publications at major educational publishers, including Alfred Music.
Albrecht holds degrees from Rollins College (B.A. in Music and Theater, 1976), the University of Miami (M.A. in Drama, 1977; M.M. in Accompanying, 1979), and has taught at Oakland University, Jersey City State College, and Meredith College. In 2021, she received Distinguished Alumna Awards from both the University of Miami Frost School of Music and Rollins College. She lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina, with her husband, composer and arranger Jay Althouse.
Why we love this
Albrecht layers three beloved melodies into a single, exuberant arrangement that feels fresh rather than crowded. The fanfare bookends and bouncy transitions between "Over the River" and "Jingle Bells" give your singers memorable structural landmarks, making this feel like a coherent piece rather than a medley. SAB voicing keeps the parts singable for mixed-voice choirs without sacrificing energy or sophistication.
What to expect
Picture the moment a sleigh comes into view: first the clip-clop rhythm, then the bright shimmer of bells, then the rush of motion as it speeds past. Albrecht captures that arc of anticipation and delight across twelve pages, with melodic hooks that lodge immediately in your singers' minds and an arrangement that feels festive without veering into novelty.
Who it's for
Mixed-voice choirs preparing a winter concert need reliable, engaging seasonal repertoire. This piece works for intermediate choirs with basic three-part experience and gives singers the joy of performing recognizable melodies without lengthy preparation.
How to get the most out of it
- Bring out the fanfare sections as distinct moments. These passages function like curtain calls within the piece, so treat them with clarity and brightness to signal the transitions ahead.
- The imagery of sleigh bells and horse hooves is built into the arrangement itself. Encourage singers to shape the text with that sparkle and motion in mind, letting their tone support the winter-ride narrative.
- Balance the familiarity of these melodies with precise rhythmic execution. Because audiences know these songs, even small rhythmic slips become noticeable. Lock in the syncopation in "Jingle Bells" during rehearsals.
- If you use the recorded accompaniment, listen through it first as an ensemble before adding voices. Singers will settle faster when they hear the band arrangement Albrecht wrote alongside her vocals.
How to use it
Open your second half with this piece after an intermission, or anchor a short medley segment with it as the closing number. The piece's accessible melodies and high energy make it an excellent goodwill closer that leaves audiences humming as they leave.
Skills your students will build
- Blending three familiar melodies while maintaining textural clarity
- Singing with rhythmic precision in an uptempo arrangement
- Responding to structural cues (fanfares and transitions) in a medley-style piece
- Ensemble balance in SAB voicing