The Twelve Days Of Christmas (arr. Ton van Diepen): SSAA Choral Octavo

Van Diepen's arrangement harnesses the song's inherent humor and accessibility while giving it genuine harmonic sophistication. The SSAA voicing keeps the piece singable for mixed ability choirs, yet the jazz inflections and contemporary harmonic language make it a refreshing alternative to purely traditional settings. This is the kind of arrangement that entertains your audience without condescending to them.

Familiar yet strange, like hearing an old song refracted through a modern lens. Van Diepen's jazz harmonies add sophistication and wit to the text's inherent charm, creating something that feels both playful and musically substantive. Singers find themselves enjoying the textual humor while navigating genuinely interesting musical writing.

Choirs seeking a holiday showpiece that works as both an entertaining concert closer and a genuine musical experience. This arrangement suits groups comfortable with contemporary harmony and comfortable taking interpretive risks during the season.

• Establish clear section energy from the start; the cumulative nature of this text demands that each soloist or small group entrance lands with confidence and character.
• Lean into the jazz vocabulary. Those chromatic passing tones and unexpected harmonic colors exist to be heard, not smoothed over.
• Balance the call and response sections carefully so that repetition feels playful rather than mechanical.
• Use dynamic contrast across the twelve gifts to build momentum; resist the urge to sing everything at the same volume level.

Save this for your final holiday concert piece or use it as a refreshing opener on a program heavy with traditional carols. The arrangement's contemporary voice makes it work particularly well alongside other modern holiday repertoire or in a concert that celebrates diverse interpretations of seasonal music.

• Reading jazz harmony and chromatic voice leading
• Sustaining momentum through repetitive text structures
• Balancing ensemble blend with rhythmic precision in syncopated passages
• Interpreting style markers beyond traditional choral language