The Happiest Time of Year: 2-Part Choral Octavo
Words and music by Mary Donnelly and George L. O. Strid
Item: 00-PO-0006875
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Description
"This is the time when Christmas comes and all the world is filled with cheer." It's a bright holiday fanfare, designed especially for developing choirs. Not exclusively a partner song, but you'll love hearing how the two independent lines fit together. To enhance the fun, George and Mary sprinkle familiar carol fragments throughout. Our festive SoundTrax features glockenspiel on the optional C-instrument part. It's an opener, it's a closer, it's a theme for the entire concert!
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0006875
More about this title
About the Composer: Mary Donnelly
Mary Donnelly grew up in Reno, Nevada, and studied English and French at the University of Nevada, Reno. While still an undergraduate, she founded two children's choruses, an experience that sparked her passion for music education. She earned a Master's Degree in Education from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she focused on integrating arts across the curriculum.
Donnelly spent three decades teaching general music and choir in the Washoe County School District, retiring after a career dedicated to making music accessible to young singers. In 1985, she began a prolific partnership with George L. O. Strid when their principal asked them to create a musical for Reading Week. That first collaboration launched a writing team that has since produced more than two hundred songs and twenty-five musicals. She holds memberships in ACDA, NEA, and ASCAP and continues to live in Reno with her husband, Rich.
Why we love this
The two independent lines sing beautifully on their own, but the real magic happens when they weave together, giving developing choirs an immediate incentive to listen and lock in with each other. By embedding recognizable carol fragments throughout, Donnelly and Strid create natural teaching moments and a sense of discovery that keeps young singers engaged from first reading to final performance.
What to expect
Bright, festive, and buoyant. The piece radiates holiday warmth without slipping into saccharine territory, offering the kind of genuine cheer that makes audiences smile and singers feel genuinely proud of what they've created together. It's the sonic equivalent of opening a gift and finding exactly what you hoped for.
Who it's for
Developing 2-part choirs in middle school, high school, and community settings will find this piece accessible and immediately rewarding. The independent lines provide clear vocal pathways without overwhelming singers, while the embedded carol fragments feel familiar and give everyone a sense of belonging in the arrangement.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the two parts evenly during rehearsals so neither line drowns out the other; once both are secure, let them shine together without one dominating.
- Lean into the fanfare character with bright, lifted vowels and crisp articulation, especially on the opening phrase that sets the holiday mood.
- If you include the optional glockenspiel part from the SoundTrax, use it strategically to highlight key moments or frame transitions between carol fragments rather than playing continuously underneath.
How to use it
This works beautifully as a concert opener that immediately establishes a festive tone, or as a closer that sends the audience out into the night full of Christmas spirit. Its relatively quick preparation time makes it ideal for December programming when rehearsal schedules are tight, and its versatility as both a standalone piece and a thematic anchor means it can anchor a holiday concert or blend seamlessly into a mixed concert format.
Skills your students will build
- Listening to and balancing two independent melodic lines
- Recognizing and singing familiar carol melodies within a new harmonic context
- Sustaining a bright, energized tone while maintaining clarity of text
- Ensemble awareness and blend in 2-part voicing