Rock the Bells: Score
Featuring: Jingle Bells
By James Pierpont / arr. Victor López
Grade: 2.5
Item: 00-PR-0002212
$8.00
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Description
Your holiday program on the top-forty! This driving rendition of "Jingle Bells" has enough energy to take you through New Year. Listen for the surprise styles! Here's a wonderful chance to add winds and percussion for a full orchestra experience to close your intermediate level winter program. (1:48)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Rock the Bells: 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:
Belwin Intermediate String/Full Orchestra
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
144
SKU:
00-PR-0002212
More about this title
About the Composer: James Pierpont
James Pierpont (1822, 1893) composed "Jingle Bells" in 1857, originally titling it "One Horse Open Sleigh." The piece became one of America's most enduring secular holiday melodies, a testament to its infectious simplicity and immediate appeal. For music educators, Pierpont's work represents the accessible end of the nineteenth-century concert tradition, music that entertains without demanding virtuosity from performers or listeners.
Why we love this
Victor Lopez's arrangement strips away the novelty-act feeling that can plague "Jingle Bells" in some versions and instead delivers a genuinely fun, energetic orchestration that respects the tune while letting your full ensemble shine. The style shifts Lopez weaves in keep players engaged and give your program an unmistakable finale that audiences actually remember. At grade 2.5, the balance between accessibility and orchestration sophistication means your intermediate players get to feel like they're playing something substantial.
What to expect
Bright and propulsive, with enough rhythmic drive to feel contemporary rather than quaint. The arrangement respects the singability of the original melody while layering textures that feel orchestral and intentional, making it feel like a concert piece rather than a holiday novelty.
Who it's for
Directors programming intermediate-level full orchestras who want a holiday closer with substance and surprises. This works equally well for concert bands converting to orchestral instrumentation and string programs expanding into full ensemble settings.
How to get the most out of it
- Drive the tempo steadily through the main sections; the arrangement's energy depends on forward motion, not rushing.
- Watch the percussion entries carefully in the score. They're a crucial part of the color shifts Lopez includes, so lock them in early rehearsals.
- Let the winds breathe during their solo moments. The arrangement gives them real spotlight passages that shouldn't be buried in the texture.
- Use the conductor score to track the style changes Lopez marks. Communicate these shifts clearly so the ensemble understands when the character changes, not just when the notes do.
How to use it
Save this for your program's final number. The energy and familiarity make it a natural audience favorite that sends people out smiling, and the 1:48 length means it lands firmly without overstaying. If you're programming a full winter concert mixing holiday and secular material, this bridges both worlds gracefully.
Skills your students will build
- Maintaining consistent tempo and pulse through style shifts
- Balancing melodic clarity with supporting harmonic textures
- Responding to conductor cues for sectional entrances and dynamic changes
- Blending winds and strings in a full orchestra setting
- Executing rhythmic precision in a high-energy arrangement