The Christmas Gig Book, Volume 2: 1st Trumpet Part(s)

Marlatt's arrangements honor the character of each carol while keeping the first trumpet part genuinely musical rather than decorative. Ten pieces across a range of textures and moods means you can build a complete holiday program without programming the same mood twice, and the 30-minute runtime fits perfectly into a concert slot without padding.

These arrangements feel both warm and purposeful. There's space for each voice to contribute meaningfully, and the carols themselves carry the weight of familiarity and tradition without the arrangements ever feeling like they're resting on that comfort. The medium difficulty level means the ensemble can focus on musicianship rather than survival.

Any brass quintet working at the intermediate level, whether in a school setting or community ensemble. Directors looking to program a complete, substantive holiday concert will find this collection saves rehearsal time by offering cohesion without sacrificing variety.

• Balance the melody line with the other brass voices, especially in pieces like 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' where the trumpet doesn't always carry the primary tune.
• Pay attention to the stylistic differences between carol arrangements; 'A Catalonian Christmas Carol' and 'Still, Still, Still' ask for distinctly different approaches to phrasing and articulation.
• Record a run-through with the full quintet early in your rehearsal process to identify tuning issues that emerge across the ensemble.

This works as a complete holiday concert for a brass quintet, or you can draw individual pieces for mixed-ensemble programming throughout December. The variety of styles also makes it easy to pair these with vocal groups, woodwind players, or other instrumentalists if you're building a larger holiday event.

• Reading within a brass quintet texture and balancing part independence with ensemble cohesion
• Stylistic flexibility across sacred music from different cultural traditions
• Phrasing and articulation choices that serve the character of familiar melodies
• Sustaining musical focus over a longer program of related but distinct pieces