Sing We Now of Christmas (arr. Larry Kerchner): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Kerchner's arrangement respects the carol's fundamental simplicity while showcasing it through genuinely inventive instrumental colors. Each section feels freshly composed rather than merely reorchestrated, and the quoted carols woven throughout create a sophisticated musical tapestry that keeps performers and audiences engaged without demanding virtuosity.

The arrangement moves from intimate reflection into broader, more celebratory territory, creating a complete emotional arc within its quick runtime. You experience multiple interpretations of a single melody, each one revealing something different about the tune's character. The familiar carol quotations anchor the piece in warmth and tradition even as Kerchner's orchestration keeps things musically fresh.

Concert bands at the Grade 3 level can take on this arrangement without specialized sections or extreme technical demands. It works equally well for middle school programs seeking substantive holiday literature and high school bands wanting a shorter, accessible work to fill a concert slot.

• Balance the reflective opening carefully; let the melody breathe rather than rushing through the initial statement, which sets the emotional foundation for everything that follows.
• Pay attention to how Kerchner transitions between instrumental groupings. These shifts in color are compositional events, not just rearrangements, so mark them clearly in parts and conduct them with intention.
• The quoted carols function as musical connective tissue. Identify which familiar melodies appear in your score and help students recognize these moments; it deepens their understanding of how Kerchner unified the piece.
• Approach the bold conclusion with clarity in dynamics and articulation. The piece earns its final statement through the journey it takes, so let that accumulated energy shape your interpretation.

Slot this into a holiday concert's middle section to provide contrast with heavier seasonal fare, or use it as a palate cleanser between more complex works. It also serves well in December concerts where you want substantive music that doesn't require months of rehearsal time.

• Recognizing and responding to changes in instrumental grouping and texture
• Balancing a melody line across different instrumental families
• Performing with appropriate character shifts between reflective and bold passages
• Identifying quoted melodies and understanding how composers create unity through musical quotation