Sing We Now of Christmas: SATB Choral Octavo

The arrangement transforms a familiar French carol into something concert-ready without losing the tune's warmth. Althouse gives you genuine textural variety: a fanfare opening with optional brass and percussion, a contrapuntal section that lets voices interact, and a homophonic passage that brings the choir back together. You'll program this for years.

Majestic and celebratory, with moments of intricate interweaving that reward close listening. The piece moves between brightness and reflection, drawing audiences into the carol's narrative while the fanfare gives it a concert-hall presence that feels earned rather than forced.

Choirs seeking an opening number that commands attention and sets a festive, uplifting tone for a Christmas program. This works equally well for high school choirs with rehearsal time to develop the instrumental parts and community choirs looking for something polished but not technically demanding.

• Balance the optional brass quintet and snare drum against the choir so the carol melody remains the focal point; these instruments frame rather than overshadow.
• Shape the contrapuntal passage with clear voice independence; rehearse each voice line separately so singers understand their individual melodic role before layering.
• Let the homophonic section breathe. After the textural complexity of the fanfare and counterpoint, this slower moment should feel like arrival, not reduction.

Open your Christmas concert with this. Its fanfare character and clear dramatic arc make it an ideal first piece to settle your audience and establish the evening's tone. It also works as a transition point if you're moving from secular opening numbers into sacred carols.

• Independent melodic line singing in contrapuntal textures
• Blend and balance between choir and optional brass/percussion
• Transitioning between textural approaches (homophony and polyphony) within a single piece
• Confidence singing a well-known tune in a contemporary concert arrangement