Holiday Jazz: Conductor Score

Familiar melodies suddenly feel like they stepped into a supper club rather than a cathedral. The tango rhythms, jazz chords, and nimble articulations create a sophisticated, sometimes cheeky energy that keeps listeners smiling while the string players feel genuinely musical and inventive.

Conductors of young string orchestras or string quartets who want holiday programming that surprises both players and audiences. Students at this level have enough technical facility to handle the rhythmic playfulness and enough musical awareness to feel the style shift from the original carols.

• Establish the swing feel early in rehearsal. The tango rhythms and jazz syncopations need clarity before you layer in the ensemble texture; conduct a steady pulse and have students tap the actual rhythmic figures they're playing rather than assuming they'll feel the implied beat.
• Balance the melody line between your first violins and the supporting harmonies. At this grade level, students often lock into their own part and lose the forest for the trees; designate a rehearsal where only the melody players have parts and let the rest of the ensemble sing along to anchor the tune.
• Use the conductor score to hear the full harmonic picture, especially in the more chromatic passages. These arrangements pack jazz voicings into a quartet texture, so your score reading will guide the strings toward the intended sonority.

Open a holiday concert with one of the shorter titles to set a refreshing tone right away, or cluster several of these arrangements together to create a jazz-flavored segment that contrasts sharply with your traditional carol selections. The Grade 3.5 level makes it realistic for mixed-ability orchestras preparing December programs in October.

• Swing rhythms and syncopated articulation in a string context
• Jazz harmony and chromatic voice leading
• Stylistic flexibility within familiar melodic material
• Ensemble balance when melody and harmony have equal textural weight
• Reading and executing rhythmic precision in tango and jazz meters