O Come, O Come Emanuel: Brass Choir Score & Parts

A processional made intimate. The piece honors the plainchant's meditative quality while the modern harmonies add warmth and complexity beneath the familiar melody. There's reverence here, but also joy.

Brass choirs and brass chamber ensembles looking for substantial sacred music that works in both church and concert settings. Directors who want to program something with Christmas resonance but need arrangements that challenge intermediate players without requiring soloists.

• Have your lead trumpet position themselves physically separated from the section, even if only 8-10 feet away. This spatial separation makes the dialogue audible and prevents the soloist from blending into the ensemble sound.
• Balance the inner voices carefully during the tutti sections. The harmonies are lush enough that weak horns or trombones will disappear entirely.
• Let the percussion part breathe. This arrangement doesn't require constant pulse, so your timpani and cymbal player should listen to the brass phrasing and support rather than drive.

Include this in a winter concert as either a cornerstone of a sacred music set or as contrast within a more eclectic program. It works equally well in a church service setting or on stage, making it versatile for December calendar demands.

• Sectional independence and balanced ensemble voicing in four-part brass harmony
• Listening to and responding to a featured soloist while maintaining ensemble cohesion
• Phrasing and blend across different instrumental families (trumpets, horns, trombones, low brass)
• Dynamic control and sustain in sustained harmonic writing