Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree: TB(B) Choral Octavo

Andy Beck's arrangement captures all the energy of the original while remaining completely accessible for developing choirs. The inclusion of choreography transforms what could be a straightforward novelty into a full performance moment that engages singers and audiences alike. This is the kind of piece that reminds students why they joined choir in the first place.

Pure kinetic joy. The piece pulses with the same irresistible beat that made the original a standard, but the choral arrangement gives it new life through stacked harmonies and rhythmic interplay. Singers feel the song move beneath them; audiences can't help but move with it.

This octavo serves developing treble and mixed choirs (TB through TTBB voicings) who want a showstopper with genuine musical substance. Holiday concerts need energy and familiarity in equal measure, and this arrangement delivers both without demanding advanced technique.

• Keep the rhythm section locked and driving. The groove is the foundation of this arrangement; if the pulse wavers, the whole piece loses its rockin' character.
• Emphasize the rhythmic precision of the TB texture. With fewer voices than a full four-part setting, every entrance and cutoff lands more prominently.
• Commit fully to the choreography during rehearsals. Even simple gestures become contagious when the entire choir owns them with confidence.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to establish tempo and feel before singers learn the parts. Hearing the intended energy first prevents a sluggish reading.

Program this early enough in your concert that it captures attention and sets an upbeat tone, or use it as a finale to send the audience out smiling. The choreography makes it a natural choice for involving multiple ensembles at once if you have younger or recreational choirs that want a featured moment. It pairs well with other pop-style holiday selections and provides welcome contrast to ballads or traditional arrangements.

• Rhythmic precision in syncopated pop idioms
• Blend and balance in TB voicing with fewer voices per part
• Memorization of a well-known melody
• Confidence performing with choreography while singing
• Ensemble cohesion in a groove-based arrangement