Santa at the Symphony: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Arr. Mark Williams
Grade: 2 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0001883
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Description
This highly imaginative work blends four familiar Christmas carols---'Jingle Bells,' 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' and 'Silent Night' with famous classic themes from Mozart's 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusick,' Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker Ballet' and '1812 Overture,'Beethoven's 'Fifth Symphony' and Brahms's 'First Symphony.' Your audience will love this arrangement and your students will have fun identifying which melodies they are playing---even Scrooge will get in the holiday spirit with this one! (Grade 2)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Santa at the Symphony: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts 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:
Young Symphonic
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
130
SKU:
00-PK-0001883
More about this title
About the Arranger: Mark Williams
Mark Williams built a career designing music specifically for student ensembles, with over 200 published works for band, orchestra, and choir. He co-authored the Accent on Achievement Band Method and spent years teaching elementary band in Washington state while earning degrees from Eastern Washington University. His work as a clinician and guest conductor took him across 34 states, five Canadian provinces, and Australia, and he earned recognition including the Western International Band Clinic's Gralia Competition and multiple ASCAP Special Awards.
Beyond the page, Williams was an active performer on bassoon and served as conductor and artistic director for the Spokane British Brass Band. He also arranged for the 560th Air Force Band, bringing professional ensemble experience to his understanding of what works in a student band setting.
Why we love this
This arrangement solves a genuine challenge: finding concert band music that engages young players with familiar material while introducing them to genuine classical literature. The layering of Christmas carols against Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Brahms creates delightful moments of discovery for both ensemble and audience, and the Grade 2 writing keeps technical demands manageable so your students can focus on hearing how these melodies interact.
What to expect
Hearing a piece that feels both festive and intellectually playful. There's genuine holiday warmth in the carols, but the arrangement keeps surprising you with classical flourishes that elevate the familiar into something unexpected and genuinely fun to perform.
Who it's for
This is ideal for Grade 2 concert bands seeking a December program piece that entertains without sacrificing musical substance. Directors working with developing ensembles will appreciate the accessible scoring that still delivers genuine orchestral sophistication.
How to get the most out of it
- Highlight the moments when classic themes emerge over familiar carols by adjusting the dynamic balance between sections; the novelty of recognition works best when listeners can actually hear the transition.
- Prepare students to listen for their specific melodic line within the texture, especially in passages where multiple familiar tunes sound simultaneously; mark those moments in rehearsal so players know what they're contributing to the whole.
- Use the conductor score to plan clear cueing for section entrances, particularly where the arrangement shifts between carol-focused and classical-focused textures; deliberate gesture work prevents ensemble from losing track of the form.
How to use it
Program this as a centerpiece in a winter concert, perhaps pairing it with a shorter opening work and a closing carol arrangement. It works equally well as a standalone December feature or as the musical bridge between holiday favorites and your concert season repertoire.
Skills your students will build
- Recognizing and tracking multiple simultaneous melodic lines
- Adjusting intonation and blend when a familiar melody becomes an inner voice
- Reading and executing clear conductor cues across texture changes
- Identifying orchestral themes within a concert band arrangement