Up on a Haunted Housetop: Score
By Benjamin Hanby / arr. Scott Watson
Grade: 1.5 (Easy)
Item: 00-PR-0003417
$6.00
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Description
"Once on a spooky Christmas eve, as Santa was making deliveries, a fog rolled in and howls rang out, and Santa landed on a 'haunted house'!" This creative premise leads to a spooky-cool treatment of the Christmas favorite, "Up on the Housetop." The piece includes an optional narrator part (which reveals a surprise ending), and uses "toy" percussion instruments to great effect. "Up on a Haunted Housetop" is an unexpectedly delightful piece to program for your winter concert.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Up on a Haunted Housetop: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Challenger Band Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
130
SKU:
00-PR-0003417
More about this title
About the Composer: Benjamin Hanby
Benjamin Hanby (1833-1867) composed "Up on the Housetop" in 1865, creating one of America's most enduring Christmas songs. Though his life was cut short, Hanby left behind a legacy of memorable melodies that have been performed and cherished for generations. His original tune remains instantly recognizable and singable, making it ideal material for educational arrangements.
Why we love this
Scott Watson's arrangement transforms a familiar carol into genuine theater without losing the tune's infectious charm. The optional narrator part and toy percussion effects give younger bands a chance to program something genuinely entertaining rather than generic, and the Grade 1.5 scoring means you're not sacrificing musicianship for accessibility. Directors love it because audiences stay engaged from the spooky opening through the surprise ending.
What to expect
Mischievous and imaginative, with a spooky-cool atmosphere that never turns genuinely scary. The arrangement sparkles with toy percussion colors and maintains the original tune's cheerful swagger while creating an entirely new narrative context.
Who it's for
Concert bands in grades 2-4 looking for a winter program piece that entertains audiences without condescending to young musicians. Directors seeking accessible arrangements that include theatrical elements and optional narrator parts will find this particularly useful for mixed-ability ensembles.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the narration so it's clearly heard but doesn't overpower the band; treat the spoken part as a distinct musical voice rather than an afterthought.
- Let the toy percussion breathe and sparkle. These colors define the piece's character, so don't bury sleigh bells or triangles under the main melody.
- Shape the familiar melody with gentle phrasing rather than playing it straight; the novelty context invites musical storytelling from your soloists and sections.
How to use it
This works beautifully as a mid-concert piece that shifts the mood and gives audiences a smile before returning to more traditional repertoire. It's also strong enough to close a holiday concert if you want to send the audience home entertained rather than reverent.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing independent melodic lines with percussion color
- Sight-reading part textures at Grade 1.5 difficulty
- Interpreting a familiar melody through a creative, character-based arrangement
- Coordinating with a narrator part while maintaining ensemble cohesion
- Playing toy percussion instruments musically and with rhythmic precision