Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Gordon Goodwin's treatment captures the spirit of the Basie-Hefti tradition without being a pastiche. The chart swings hard yet remains accessible at Grade 5, with enough solo space and sectional writing to keep your ensemble engaged across a full set. It's the kind of piece that energizes a winter concert and gives every section something memorable to play.

A medium-tempo swing that lands somewhere between a casual holiday party and a polished concert performance. The brushes-to-sticks drum progression gives the piece momentum and sophistication, while the sax voicings and optional solos create spaces for both collective swing and individual voice.

Advanced jazz ensembles looking for a holiday staple that doesn't sacrifice musical substance. This arrangement rewards groups with solid section reading skills and at least one or two strong soloists who can navigate swing vocabulary confidently.

• Shape the drum part's arc carefully. The transition from brushes to sticks marks the emotional center of the chart; balance the intensity rise so it feels inevitable rather than abrupt.
• Keep the sax soli synchronized and voiced tightly. These moments are the chart's signature feature, so lock the section intonation and phrasing before addressing soloists.
• Work the optional solo passages as a group. Decide early which chairs will take alto, tenor, trumpet, and trombone solos, and have those players come prepared with a clear solo concept rooted in the swing style.
• Protect the lead trumpet range. The high E demands accurate voicing in the section and rhythmic precision from the lead player; don't let the part dominate the texture.

Program this as a second-set opener or closer on a holiday concert. Its combination of festive familiarity and jazz credibility works equally well in December or as a winter chamber series selection, and it offers enough stylistic substance to hold its own alongside more serious repertoire.

• Swing feel and phrasing at a medium tempo
• Section balance in scored sax soli
• Transition between brush and stick articulation (rhythm section)
• Solo development in jazz idiom (optional sections for alto, tenor, trumpet, trombone)
• Reading complex jazz voicings and ensemble alignment