I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day: Choral Instrumental Pak
By Mark Hall / By Bernie Herms / By Dale Oliver / As performed by Casting Crowns / Arranged by Mac Huff
Item: 35-PK00227675
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Description
From their 2011 album "Peace on Earth," this song by Casting Crowns offers a fresh perspective on a familiar lyric, with a fusion of contemporary and classical sounds that will provide a joyful and inspirational moment in your concert. Duration: ca. 4:15.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00227675
More about this title
About the Composer: Mark Hall
Mark Hall is the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for Casting Crowns, a contemporary Christian music group that has built a substantial following through their blend of modern worship sensibilities and substantive lyrical content. His compositional work bridges accessible melodies with thoughtful arrangements, creating pieces that resonate both in church settings and concert halls.
Why we love this
This arrangement captures something genuinely moving in its fusion of contemporary and classical vocabularies, offering choirs a way to present a beloved carol text without relying on standard Victorian harmonizations. The 4:15 duration gives you real musical breathing room to let the piece develop, and the instrumentation creates that special moment audiences remember after intermission.
What to expect
This piece occupies the space between a carol service and a contemporary worship experience, offering warm harmonic movement beneath a melody that feels both reverent and alive. The fusion of classical and modern sounds creates an emotional landscape that feels reflective without being sentimental, hopeful without ignoring the world's complexity.
Who it's for
Choirs seeking concert repertoire with spiritual substance and contemporary relevance will find this useful during the Christmas season. Directors wanting to reach audiences with familiar text wrapped in unexpected harmonic and orchestral language should consider this for mixed or general choirs.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the blend between your rhythm section and ensemble voicing; the contemporary groove underpinning this piece will collapse if the harmonic support disappears into the texture.
- Pay attention to where the classical and contemporary sonic worlds intersect, typically in transitions and the final sections. These moments need clarity and intentional shaping to land their emotional weight.
- The dynamic arc across 4:15 asks for patient control. Build gradually rather than front-loading energy, so you have room to crescendo through the final statements of the text.
How to use it
Program this as a moment of tonal and stylistic contrast within a traditional holiday concert, perhaps following or preceding more austere choral writing to highlight what makes this arrangement distinctive. It works equally well as a standalone Christmas concert centerpiece or as part of a mixed devotional program.
Skills your students will build
- Singing contemporary harmonic language while maintaining choir blend
- Balancing rhythmic precision with lyrical phrasing across changing metric contexts
- Responding to instrumental accompaniment as a rhythmic and harmonic anchor
- Interpreting text with authenticity in a non-traditional musical setting