Nativity Carol: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$65.00 USD

Nativity Carol: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Nativity Carol: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-37835
Price: 65.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

By John Rutter / arr. Monty Musgrave

Grade: 3 (Medium)

Item: 00-37835

$65.00

Shipped

One moment…

John Rutter (b.1945) is one of England's best known composers of choral literature. While his choral works, including "Te Deum," "Magnificat," and "Requiem," are the most familiar, he has also written numerous instrumental works. Rutter composed the "Nativity Carol" for SATB chorus and organ in 1963, and it was published in 1967 as part of a collection entitled Carols for Two Choirs. Although the title suggests a seasonal work, its musical richness lends itself favorably for performance at any time of the year. (4:00)

Nativity Carol: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.

No sample videos found.

Series: Alfred Concert Band

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 130

UPC: 038081431369

SKU: 00-37835

More about this title

About the Composer: John Rutter

John Rutter (b. 1945) stands among England's most prolific and performed composers of sacred music. His catalog spans choral masterworks like Te Deum, Magnificat, and Requiem alongside chamber music, orchestral works, and arrangements that have shaped modern church music and concert repertoire worldwide. Rutter's compositional voice blends accessibility with harmonic sophistication, making his work equally at home in cathedral services and concert halls.

Beyond composing, Rutter founded the Cambridge Singers in 1981, an ensemble whose recordings have introduced millions to his music. His influence on contemporary choral practice reflects decades spent thinking deeply about how singers and conductors bring meaning to text and melody.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

Monty Musgrave's arrangement captures the carol's essential character while giving your band musicians a work of genuine substance rather than holiday filler. The Grade 3 voicing opens this piece to bands at the point where they can handle independent woodwind lines and balanced harmony, making it an ideal choice for programs seeking sacred repertoire with real musical depth.

What to expect

Warm and reflective, with the kind of melodic directness that Rutter does so well. The piece carries a sense of quiet reverence rather than jolly exuberance, allowing space for thoughtful interpretation and sensitive phrasing that can move an audience.

Who it's for

Bands at the Grade 3 level who are ready to move beyond simplified holiday music and need something with real harmonic and melodic substance. Directors seeking sacred concert band repertoire that works for Christmas programming but has enough musical interest to hold an audience's attention year-round.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the melodic line across sections; the tune will likely migrate between clarinets, horns, and alto saxophones depending on the arrangement's voice distribution. Bring out whoever carries the tune without letting accompaniment voices recede too far.
Shape the phrasing in four-bar or eight-bar units rather than pushing relentlessly forward. This carol breathes best when phrases have small moments of gentle arrival and release.
Pay attention to dynamic control in the middle register. Bands sometimes play fuller in the middle voices than the arrangement asks for, which muddies the harmonic clarity Rutter's writing depends on.
Treat any tempo marking (if present in Musgrave's arrangement) as a suggestion that can shift slightly within the piece. A rubato approach often serves Christmas carols better than a metronomic one.

How to use it

Program this as the centerpiece of a winter concert's sacred or reflective section, pairing it with other concert band works that share its lyrical character. It also works beautifully as a dignified closing piece for a December concert, offering a moment of calm before the applause.