Prelude to Christmas: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$55.00 USD

Prelude to Christmas: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Prelude to Christmas: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-49901
Price: 55.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Traditional Carol Tunes / arr. Douglas E. Wagner

Grade: 2.5

Item: 00-49901

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This musical celebration of the season is an upbeat, creative mix of five traditional, school-friendly carol tunes that include (in order of appearance): "Ding! Dong! Merrily on High," "Deck the Hall," "Good King Wenceslas," "Here We Come A-Caroling," and "Jingle Bells." Fresh and varied scoring techniques create a seamless two-minute work perfectly suited as a program or set opener that rings out with unbridled joy from beginning to end. (2:05)

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Series: Belwin Intermediate String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

ISBN10: 1-4706-5737-6

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-5737-6

UPC: 038081575520

SKU: 00-49901

More about this title

About the Arranger: Douglas E. Wagner

Douglas E. Wagner, a Chicago native, holds degrees in music from Butler University and spent three decades leading music programs in American high schools before shifting his focus entirely to composition and arranging. His catalog spans more than 3,500 published works across choirs, bands, orchestras, handbells, organ, piano, and vocal music, with global performances documented on radio, television, and concert stages since 1973.

Wagner's output has reached well over seventeen million copies in circulation, establishing him as one of the most widely performed contemporary composers in school music education. He currently lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Sandy.

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Why we love this

Wagner has cracked the code for opening a holiday concert: five beloved carols in two minutes, arranged with enough textural variety that each melody feels fresh while the pacing keeps audiences leaning forward. The Grade 2.5 scoring sits squarely in the sweet spot where student orchestras can execute clean passwork without drowning, and conductors get real orchestration to shape rather than simple block harmonies.

What to expect

A kaleidoscope of familiar melodies that spirals upward with genuine joy rather than sleepy sentimentality. The carols arrive in rapid succession yet each one feels complete, buoyed by dancing rhythms and clever instrumental colors that keep the whole piece in motion.

Who it's for

String orchestra directors seeking a reliable, audience-friendly holiday opener for winter concerts and holiday assemblies. Intermediate-level programs will find the Grade 2.5 level accessible while still offering enough arranging sophistication to challenge musicianship beyond basic reading.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the melodic material between sections as it passes from violins to violas to cellos; each carol deserves its moment as the primary voice even when lower strings carry the tune.
Keep the tempo steady and driving through the transitions between carols; the arrangement's energy depends on maintaining forward momentum across all five tunes.
Listen for clarity in double-stops and divisi writing, especially in the viola and cello parts; these scoring choices create texture and depth, so they need definition rather than blur.

How to use it

Program this as a concert opener to establish festive energy before settling into more substantial repertoire. The two-minute duration also works as an intermission closer or a coda after a longer holiday work, catching the audience's goodwill while the carol tunes are still ringing in their ears.

Skills your students will build

Executing smooth voice exchanges between sections under tempo
Playing in divisi and double-stop passages with balanced tone
Sustaining rhythmic precision across rapid textural and melodic changes
Responding to conductor shaping across multiple phrase segments in minimal rehearsal time