Nuttin' for Christmas: Score
Words and music by Sid Tupper and Roy C. Bennett / arr. Michael Story
Grade: 1 (Very Easy)
Item: 00-PR-0004732
$10.00
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Description
Made famous by both Art Mooney and His Orchestra and by Stan Freberg, this solidly-scored holiday novelty has been performed and recorded over the years by numerous artists, including Eartha Kitt, Smash Mouth, and The Plain White T's. A classic holiday tune certain to bring smiles! (2:00) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Nuttin' for Christmas: Score 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:
Pop Beginning Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
134
SKU:
00-PR-0004732
More about this title
About the Composer: Sid Tupper
Sid Tupper co-wrote "Nuttin' for Christmas" with Roy C. Bennett in 1955, creating one of the era's most durable novelty songs. The piece found immediate success through multiple recordings and has since become a seasonal standard across radio, television, and live performance venues.
Why we love this
Michael Story's arrangement captures the irreverent charm of this novelty standard while keeping the instrumentation and technical demands accessible to beginning bands. The scoring stays rhythmically tight and texturally clear, letting the tune's humor land without requiring advanced technique. Your students will enjoy learning a piece that adults actually know and that audiences genuinely want to hear.
What to expect
Playful and mischievous. The piece bounces along with infectious energy, capturing the cheekiness of a kid listing all the reasons he's been bad and doesn't deserve presents. The melody is instantly recognizable and fun to play, even on the first read.
Who it's for
Beginning concert bands (Grade 1) looking for repertoire with immediate appeal to both performers and audiences. This arrangement works equally well for a winter concert opener, a holiday pops program, or a standalone performance that guarantees engagement.
How to get the most out of it
- Nail the rhythmic articulation in the opening. The comedic timing depends on crisp attacks and clean releases, especially in the brass section.
- Let the melody sing through the arrangement without sentimentality. The humor comes from a straight delivery of a ridiculous premise, not winking at the audience.
- Keep the tempo steady and energetic. At 2:00, this piece needs forward motion to land its jokes and maintain interest.
- Balance the soloist or melodic line against the ensemble. Even at Grade 1, clarity of the main tune is essential to the arrangement's effect.
How to use it
Open your holiday concert with this to set a lighthearted tone and build audience connection immediately. Pair it with one or two more serious seasonal arrangements to create programming balance, or feature it as the closer in a pops program where the goal is sending people out smiling.
Skills your students will build
- Maintaining steady tempo in a rhythmically driven arrangement
- Clear articulation and phrase definition at a brisk tempo
- Balance and blend within Grade 1 instrumentation
- Responding to comedic intent in musical performance