Merry Christmas to All (A Medley of Carols): 1st F Horn: Choral SoundPax
(A Medley of Carols)
Arr. Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PC-0000726_H1
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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 (A Medley of Carols): 1st F Horn: Choral SoundPax 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 Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PC-0000726_H1
Instrumentation:
SoundPax
More about this title
About the Arranger: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse studied music education and music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he later received the Distinguished Alumni award. He spent eight years managing rights and licenses at a major educational music publisher, serving a term on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, he has over 800 choral works in print and holds regular ASCAP Special Awards for his compositions.
Althouse has collaborated with his wife Sally K. Albrecht on several children's musicals and compiled respected vocal solo collections including Folk Songs for Solo Singers. He co-authored The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers, along with classroom resources like Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios. His choral work I Hear America Singing was performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration. Currently, he serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America and has called North Carolina home for many years.
Why we love this
Althouse's gift for weaving multiple melodies into seamless medleys shines here. The flexibility built into every section—optional solos, key changes, rhythmic variety—means you can shape this to match your ensemble's strengths rather than forcing your singers into a one-size-fits-all arrangement. With both a traditional piano part and a hip studio combo option available, this works equally well in conservative settings or contemporary holiday programs.
What to expect
A confident journey through beloved carols that respects their melodies while playfully reimagining their harmonies and contexts. The medley moves with purpose and energy, avoiding the predictable feel of straightforward carol arrangements while never losing sight of why these songs matter to singers and listeners.
Who it's for
Choirs at all levels looking for a holiday centerpiece that balances familiarity with freshness. Directors who want the freedom to adapt accompaniment style (from traditional piano to studio ensemble) based on venue and vocal strength will find this especially useful.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the transitions between carols by rehearsing the key changes as distinct moments rather than trying to smooth over them; unexpected harmonic shifts are part of what makes this medley memorable
- Assign optional solos strategically to singers who can confidently shape a phrase without overshadowing the ensemble during full sections
- Coordinate with your accompanist or SoundPax conductor about tempo choices well in advance; varied tempos across the medley require clear communication
- Let the changing vocal textures breathe by adjusting blend and dynamics as harmonies shift, rather than maintaining the same approach throughout
How to use it
This works beautifully as a closing number for holiday concerts, where its festive scope and familiar tunes send audiences out with genuine joy. It can also anchor a mixed repertoire program by providing the celebratory moment that balances more formal or contemporary seasonal pieces.
Skills your students will build
- Singing unified vowels and consonants across ensemble shifts
- Managing key changes and harmonic surprises in real time
- Balancing solo passages with full ensemble sections
- Responding to varied tempos and rhythmic structures within a single piece
- Maintaining diction clarity in a medley format with rapid textual transitions