Make We Merry Sheet Music Preview

Make We Merry: SATB Choral Octavo

By Judith Clurman / Arranged by Michael Gilbertson

Item: 35-DS00221055

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Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Page Count: 10
SKU: 35-DS00221055

More about this title

About the Composer: Judith Clurman

Judith Clurman is a composer and conductor whose work spans choral music, art song, and chamber pieces. Her compositional voice brings together accessible melodic writing with harmonic sophistication, making her works particularly valuable for choirs seeking contemporary repertoire that doesn't demand extreme technical demands while still offering substantive musical content.

Clurman's background as both a creator and interpreter of music informs her approach to choral writing. She understands how ensembles actually function in rehearsal and performance, and her pieces consistently reward singers with grateful vocal lines and clear structural logic.

Why we love this

Clurman's setting brings genuine freshness to holiday repertoire without sacrificing the warmth audiences expect. The Michael Gilbertson arrangement respects the melodic core while creating rich harmonic textures that hold singers' interest through multiple performances across a busy season.

What to expect

The piece has a contemporary warmth that skips heavy sentimentality while maintaining genuine joy. Singers describe feeling both supported by clear harmonic grounding and engaged by writing that respects their musicality.

Who it's for

This octavo works for high school and community choirs at intermediate levels, as well as collegiate ensembles building holiday programs. Directors can program it confidently for groups with solid intonation and basic musicianship without needing soloists or divisi sections that demand extensive rehearsal time.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the harmony by having singers identify which voice part carries the primary melody at any given moment; this prevents the piece from becoming harmonic soup and keeps the emotional arc clear.
  • Take advantage of the piece's apparent accessibility to focus rehearsal time on nuanced diction in the text rather than wrestling with rhythmic or intervallic challenges.
  • Record a section rehearsal with just two parts singing while the others listen; this trains ears to hear what sits underneath the surface.
  • Shape phrases by gradually bringing dynamic energy toward textually or harmonically significant moments rather than treating the piece as metronomically even.

How to use it

Pair this with one or two traditional carols to anchor a holiday concert in recognizable material, then use this arrangement as a bridge to more contemporary fare. Its ten pages make it ideal for mixed concert programming where you need a substantial choral moment without the rehearsal demands of larger works.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustaining tone through longer phrase lengths
  • Balancing four-part harmony without doubling crutches
  • Interpreting contemporary compositional language while maintaining stylistic appropriateness
  • Maintaining textual clarity across lush harmonic textures

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