Sensational Solos! Popular Christmas, B-flat Trumpet: Trumpet Book

Balmages and Fraley have arranged these Christmas standards with genuine ear for what trumpeters at this level can handle and enjoy. The variety of accompaniment styles keeps the collection feeling fresh across multiple solos, and the dual-track format (demo plus play-along) means students can learn by ear, build confidence against professional backing, and perform repertoire that actually matters to audiences.

Holiday joy filtered through the voice of a working musician. The arrangements honor these timeless melodies while giving them modern production value and ensemble polish that makes a Grade 2.5 soloist sound genuinely polished. Each tune arrives with a sense of celebration and musicianship that extends well beyond what a student could create alone.

Intermediate trumpet players ready to solo in front of an audience but not yet secure enough to perform without accompaniment. This collection also works beautifully for band directors searching for accessible solo repertoire that engages students with familiar holiday material.

• Listen to the demo track first without your horn in hand. Pay attention to how the arranger voices the melody within each accompaniment style; this matters more than you might think for phrasing.
• Use the play-along track in rehearsal to lock in your tempo and dynamics before the concert. Many students rush against rock and jazz accompaniments if they haven't rehearsed that specific groove.
• Balance tone with the accompaniment style. A brassy, bright approach works in the orchestral tracks; jazz combos ask for something more relaxed and conversational.
• Mark your breathing spots before you perform. These melodies sit well on trumpet, but planning your air prevents the awkward gasps that break the line.

Feature individual soloists during winter and holiday concerts, or use these to staff your chamber performance opportunities across the season. They pair naturally with full ensemble arrangements of holiday material, letting your strongest trumpeters step forward for featured moments that audiences recognize and remember.

• Matching articulation and tone to different accompaniment styles (orchestral, rock, jazz)
• Sustaining phrasing over extended melodic lines without tonal or rhythmic hesitation
• Listening and responding to ensemble texture while maintaining independence as a soloist
• Interpreting style indicators and adapting vibrato and attack across genre boundaries
• Building confidence performing familiar material against professional-quality backing tracks