Housetop Holiday Jam!: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Grant writes rock-style holiday music that genuinely showcases your band. Rather than burying sections in a wall of sound, he gives practically every area something meaningful to do, then rotates the spotlight so no one fades into the background. The key modulations in the feature section keep players engaged and remind them that holiday pops doesn't have to be predictable.

The opening is gentle and reflective, built on a solo trumpet melody that reminds you this is still Up on the Housetop. Then the groove kicks in and everything shifts: suddenly it's modern, rhythmic, and alive. The melody gets fragmented across the band in different keys, creating a sense of playful chaos held together by sharp percussion hits.

Grade 2 bands that want genuine fun without sacrificing musicianship. This works for any director who'd rather hear their students play something that sounds like today's music instead of yesterday's arrangements of holiday standards.

• Start with the lyrical trumpet solo in rehearsal to establish the song's foundation before adding drums and bass; this creates a musical anchor the whole band can reference later.
• Isolate the feature section where melody fragments move through different keys. Run it by section first so clarinet doesn't accidentally play what the alto sax has, then bring sections together gradually.
• Let your percussionists own the transitions between key areas. Their rhythmic links are what make the modulations sound intentional rather than accidental.
• The optional drumset part isn't just decoration. If you have a capable player, use them; if not, the arrangement works, but you lose some of the groove and personality that makes this sound fresh.

Save this for a winter concert where you want an extended feature that isn't the final piece. Its Grade 2 accessibility means you can work it alongside standard concert band repertoire without derailing your musical goals, and the rock-style energy works especially well sandwiched between a lyrical work and something with more classical weight.

• Maintaining groove and pocket playing with a rock style
• Reading and executing melody lines in multiple transpositions simultaneously
• Articulating cleanly during rapid key modulations
• Listening for percussion cues while playing ensemble passages
• Managing rhythmic precision with a grooving bass line foundation