It's Christmas!: Piano Book

Coates brings a pianist's sensitivity to every arrangement here, which means each carol or seasonal favorite breathes naturally rather than feeling transposed from another instrument. The mix of sacred repertoire (Ave Maria, Gesù Bambino, We Three Kings) alongside contemporary holiday favorites (Believe, Mary Did You Know?) and standards (Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas) gives you genuine programming flexibility without forcing students into a narrow stylistic lane. At the early advanced level, the technical demands are real enough to feel rewarding but never overshadow the melody.

These arrangements occupy a warm middle ground between simplicity and sophistication. Familiar melodies sit comfortably under the hands while richer harmonies and occasional moments of pianistic texture remind you why these songs endure. Whether you're playing a quiet carol or something with contemporary pop sensibility, the writing feels inviting rather than showy.

Early advanced pianists preparing recital programs, holiday concerts, or simply expanding their seasonal repertoire with arrangements that respect both the original music and the player's developing technique. Studio teachers seeking a single resource that covers sacred and secular Christmas music at a consistent level. Students ready to move beyond simplified holiday collections but not yet tackling concert-grade transcriptions.

• Shape the melodic line with purposeful pedal changes rather than holding the sustain pedal continuously; this is especially important in the sacred pieces where clarity serves reverence.
• Balance the left hand accompaniment so it supports without overwhelming the right hand melody, a skill that becomes second nature with repeated playing across this collection's varied textures.
• Work passages with hand independence (particularly in pieces with contemporary harmonic language) slowly at first, then gradually increase tempo while maintaining evenness between hands.
• Listen to recorded versions of these arrangements to internalize phrasing and tempo; Coates often writes with specific recorded performances in mind, and that context informs interpretation.

Build a holiday recital entirely from this book, mixing sacred and secular pieces to create a program with genuine emotional arc and variety. Pull individual pieces to pair with ensemble rehearsals during December when your full groups are in performance mode but you still want solo work happening. Use it as a bridge repertoire resource; students who find most intermediate collections too simple but aren't ready for advanced Rachmaninoff or Gershwin arrangements can live here productively for several months.

• Pedal control and timing through varied harmonic contexts
• Balancing melody and accompaniment across both hands
• Reading and executing mixed textures (block chords, broken figures, sustained bass lines)
• Interpreting both sacred and secular styles from the same technical foundation
• Sight-reading facility through exposure to 11 distinct arrangements in contrasting keys and rhythmic patterns