We Five Kings: Concert Band Conductor Score

Williams takes two beloved carols and transforms them into something that feels completely fresh by shifting both into 5/4 time. The arrangement respects the melodies musicians know while building in enough rhythmic interest and percussion activity to keep young players engaged, making this work as much fun to perform as it is to hear.

The arrangement channels a contemporary groove that feels more like a modern rock interpretation than a traditional carol arrangement. Listeners will recognize the beloved tunes immediately, but the 5/4 meter and active percussion parts give everything an energetic, unexpected lift that surprises and delights.

Young concert bands ready to explore mixed meters will find this arrangement perfectly pitched. Grade 2 ensembles with solid fundamentals and interest in rhythmic challenges can tackle this comfortably while staying in the familiar holiday season context.

• Lock the groove in the rhythm section first. The percussion and lower winds need to establish the 5/4 pulse as the foundation before the melodic voices enter.
• Balance the active percussion parts carefully so they enhance rather than overwhelm the familiar melodies. Let the drums and mallets support the harmonic motion without drowning out the brass and woodwinds.
• Bring out the contrast between the two carols when they appear. Use dynamic shaping to help the audience recognize the transition from one tune to the other.

This works especially well as a closing finale for a winter concert, where its rhythmic sophistication and familiar melodies can send audiences out smiling. You might program it after more traditional carols to showcase what your young ensemble can handle musically, or use it as a bridge between classical holiday fare and contemporary arrangements.

• Reading and maintaining 5/4 meter while performing familiar melodies
• Coordinating rhythmic independence between melody and active percussion parts
• Balancing blend and balance in arrangements with prominent secondary instrumental voices
• Translating between different harmonic contexts and genre styles within a single piece