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What Child Is This?: SSA Choral Octavo

$1.85 USD
$1.85 USD
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What Child Is This? Cover Image
What Child Is This?: SSA Choral Octavo

What Child Is This?: SSA Choral Octavo

Traditional Carol, words by William Chatterton Dix / arr., with additional words, by Russell Robinson

Item: 00-39795
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Description
The traditional "Greensleeves" tune seasoned with a dash of the Renaissance and a generous sprinkling of rhythmic whimsy. This intriguing arrangement is set lightly in compound meter, alternating between 3/4 and 6/8 time. A new treatment of a Christmas classic.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 12
UPC: 038081444567
SKU: 00-39795

More about this title

About the Arranger: Russell Robinson

Russell Robinson

Russell Robinson is an Emeritus Professor of Music Education at the University of Florida whose career spans five decades of conducting, consulting, and mentoring at venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center. His work has taken him across six continents, where he has led honor choirs, conducted at state and national conferences, and shaped choral programs at every level. Robinson was inducted into the Florida Music Educators Association Hall of Fame in 2016 and served as National Collegiate Chair and Choral Adviser for the National Association for Music Education.

With over 500 publications in print, Robinson has established himself as a prolific composer and arranger whose choral works balance accessibility with musical substance. His arrangements and compositions appear regularly in school, community, and professional choir libraries, reflecting a deep understanding of what singers need and what audiences want to hear.

Why we love this

Robinson has taken a beloved tune and freed it from predictability by shifting between compound meters, giving singers rhythmic puzzle-solving to do without making the piece feel awkward or academic. The SSA voicing works beautifully for mixed-age choirs and treble voice ensembles, and the Renaissance styling adds textural interest that makes this feel like a fresh discovery rather than a holiday obligation.

What to expect

The piece has a Renaissance-tinged quality that feels both intimate and festive, with rhythmic surprises that keep the ear engaged even as the melody remains recognizable. There's a sense of gentle whimsy throughout, as if the familiar carol is being discovered anew through a slightly shifted harmonic and rhythmic lens.

Who it's for

This arrangement suits treble choirs, community choruses, and school choirs at the intermediate level and beyond. Directors programming a Christmas concert with some musical sophistication will appreciate an arrangement that honors tradition while refusing to settle for predictable.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the meter shifts (3/4 to 6/8) by thinking of the quarter-note pulse as your anchor; let the feel breathe rather than forcing metronomic precision.
  • Shape the familiar melody gently so it emerges naturally from the harmonic context instead of sitting on top of the accompaniment.
  • Commit fully to the rhythmic whimsy in the arrangement; this piece invites playfulness, and singers who lean into the unexpected moments will find joy in performing it.

How to use it

Pair this with more straightforward Christmas pieces to show the range of how a single tune can be treated, or use it as the anchor of a treble choir concert that explores traditional music through contemporary arrangements. It works equally well as a concert closer or as a bridge between secular and sacred holiday programming.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading mixed meters (3/4 and 6/8) and transitioning between them smoothly
  • Balancing a familiar melody with unfamiliar harmonic support
  • Shaping Renaissance-influenced voicings with appropriate resonance and blend
  • Recognizing and performing rhythmic variations that add character to traditional material

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