Merry Christmas to All Cover Image

Merry Christmas to All: SATB Choral Octavo

$2.95 USD
$2.95 USD
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Merry Christmas to All Cover Image
Merry Christmas to All: SATB Choral Octavo

Merry Christmas to All: SATB Choral Octavo

(A Medley of Carols)

Arr. Jay Althouse

Item: 00-23489
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Description
No holiday program is complete without a festive medley of familiar carols. And this one provides a fresh take on some old favorites including Deck the Hall * Good King Wenceslas * Infant Holy, Infant Lowly * God Rest You Merry Gentlemen * It Came Upon the Midnight Clear * What Child Is This? * Here We Come A-Caroling * The Holly and the Ivy * We Wish You a Merry Christmas. It's so flexible with optional solo spots, varied tempos, changing keys, and unexpected harmonies, you'll never find another that's more entertaining. Even the accompaniment offers flexibility with a full piano part, a hip studio combo SoundTrax CD and SoundPax, or a traditional concert band arrangement (playable by intermediate musicians with or without the chorus). SoundPax includes parts for fl., ob., 2 cl., a. sax., t. sax., Fr. horn, 2 tpt., 2 tbn., rhy., perc.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Merry Christmas to All: SATB Choral Octavo comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 16
UPC: 038081238135
SKU: 00-23489

More about this title

About the Arranger: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was later honored as a Distinguished Alumnus. His career spans both the publishing side of music education and prolific composition; he spent eight years working in rights and licensing for a major educational publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, he has written more than 800 choral works performed internationally across all skill levels.

Beyond composing, Althouse has shaped music education through multiple channels. He is a writer member of ASCAP and a regular recipient of the ASCAP Special Award. His published work includes vocal solo collections, co-authored books on choral technique and composer study, and classroom resources on music literacy. Althouse has collaborated with his wife Sally K. Albrecht on children's musicals and larger choral works, including "I Hear America Singing," performed at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration. He serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America and resides in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Why we love this

Althouse's arrangement respects the carols' familiarity while refusing to play it safe. Unexpected harmonies and strategic key shifts keep singers engaged across nine beloved melodies, and the optional solo spots create genuine performance opportunities rather than token gestures. The flexibility on accompaniment alone—full piano, studio combo, or concert band—means you program this once and adapt it for multiple contexts throughout your season.

What to expect

A lively, sophisticated parade of carols that feels both festive and genuinely musical. The varied tempos and key centers create forward momentum, while unexpected harmonic turns add warmth and surprise without abandoning the melodies people treasure.

Who it's for

Choirs of intermediate ability looking for a substantial yet accessible holiday feature. Directors programming traditional concert band, piano, or combo accompaniment will appreciate that this single octavo accommodates all three, making it genuinely versatile across different performance contexts.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the solos with the full ensemble sound. The optional sections are most effective when they spotlight individual voices without getting lost; rehearse them at volume.
  • Treat the key changes as dramatic moments, not obstacles. Mark them clearly in parts and give singers a beat or two to adjust their thinking before each new key.
  • If using the concert band arrangement, plan extra rehearsals with instrumental colleagues early. The blend between voices and band in this medley depends on tight ensemble rhythms.
  • Shape each carol's phrase differently. Since tempos vary across the arrangement, use tempo as a tool to distinguish one melody from the next and maintain listener interest.

How to use it

Position this as your anchor holiday feature, either as a finale or second-act opener depending on concert flow. The medley format and flexible accompaniment make it equally at home in a traditional Christmas concert, a community holiday celebration, or a pops program paired with lighter secular selections.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and maintaining pitch across multiple key changes within a single piece
  • Balancing solo and ensemble textures while maintaining blend
  • Interpreting varied harmonic colors (expected and unexpected) within familiar melodies
  • Singing idiomatically across nine distinct melodic styles and time signatures
  • Responding to tempo and character shifts in medley contexts

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