Holiday Celebrations: 1st F Horn
Featuring: Jingle Bells / Coventry Carol / Oh Chanukah
Various / arr. Chris M. Bernotas
Grade: 2 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PC-0017006_H1
$3.00
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Description
Holiday Celebrations will put your students and audience right in the holiday spirit. It features three well known songs of the seasons---the joyous "Jingle Bells," the hauntingly beautiful "Coventry Carol," and the driving "Oh Chanukah." Paying homage to both Christmas and Chanukah, your students can celebrate the holidays of the season with this exciting arrangement that will surely be a favorite on your next holiday concert. (3:00) Correlates to Book 2, level 2.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Holiday Celebrations: 1st F Horn 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:
Sound Innovations for Concert Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
272
SKU:
00-PC-0017006_H1
More about this title
About the Arranger: Chris M. Bernotas
Chris M. Bernotas has shaped music education for over two decades as a composer, arranger, conductor, and educator. As Director of Instrumental Publications for Alfred Music, he develops and curates repertoire used by band and orchestra programs worldwide, drawing on extensive classroom experience to understand what teachers and students actually need.
Bernotas balances composition with deep involvement in music education advocacy. He serves as a guest conductor and clinician for honor groups and workshops, presents regularly on conducting and pedagogy, and has co-authored several pedagogical resources including the Sound Innovations series. His arrangements and compositions are performed globally by ensembles at every level, from beginners to advanced groups seeking musically rewarding and accessible material.
Why we love this
Bernotas takes three beloved holiday melodies and weaves them together with care for both musical interest and ensemble balance. The arrangement respects the character of each tune—from the brightness of 'Jingle Bells' to the reflective quality of 'Coventry Carol' to the rhythmic drive of 'Oh Chanukah'—while keeping the demands realistic for Grade 2 musicians. Programming this signals to your community that your concert celebrates multiple winter traditions with genuine musicality, not just holiday convenience.
What to expect
The arrangement creates a warm journey through the winter season. 'Jingle Bells' sparkles with festive energy, 'Coventry Carol' brings reflective beauty and emotional depth, and 'Oh Chanukah' adds rhythmic vitality and cultural representation. Together, they feel like a complete holiday celebration rather than a string of songs.
Who it's for
Concert bands at the Grade 2 level who want substance and musical integrity in their holiday programming. Ensembles new to mixing standard Christmas repertoire with other winter celebrations will find this thoughtfully arranged and accessible.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the melody between upper voices and lower voices in 'Coventry Carol' so the wistful quality comes through without the accompaniment drowning it out.
- Keep 'Jingle Bells' crisp and rhythmically tight; younger ensembles often rush holiday material, so anchor the tempo in your conducting and lock it with your rhythm section.
- Give 'Oh Chanukah' room to breathe rhythmically—the driving feel should feel propulsive, not panicked.
- Use the transitions between songs to reset your ensemble's focus; these moments are valuable rehearsal checkpoints for intonation and ensemble awareness.
How to use it
This works beautifully as the centerpiece of a winter concert, either performed in full or broken into individual selections placed strategically throughout your program. The three-minute duration makes it ideal for festivals or community events where you need compact, impactful material. Consider programming it between more challenging pieces to showcase your ensemble's musicality and versatility.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing melody and accompaniment across the ensemble
- Maintaining rhythmic accuracy under tempo changes
- Blending multiple melodic lines within a single arrangement
- Sustaining intonation across longer phrase structures
- Responding to conductor interpretation across contrasting musical styles