Posted by ken k on August 09, 2001 at 23:33:12:
In Reply to: Christmas Quintet posted by c.s. on August 09, 2001 at 09:50:12:
There is a set of books called the "Salvation Army's Caroler's Favorites" These are flexible instrumentation books and can be used with almost any combination of instruments. They are 4-part arrangements with an optional 5th descant part. The arrangemnts are by Eric leidzen and Steven Bulla. The books have 72 arrangements in them! Everything from Joy to the World to Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire. The arrangements are just different enough to make them interesting, yet they are very playable. We use them in our quintet with first and second trumpet, horn on the third part and tuba on the fourth part and the trombone plays the 5th part. You can also get the 5th part for trumpet and then put horn on part 2 and trombone on part 3, but I have found the voicing works best the way I first described it. These books are a great investment every quintet should have.
Also I arranged a fun spoof on the Pachelbel canon with a bunch of carols put on top of it. It starts out just like the regular arrangemnt until all of a sudden the horn starts playing Jolly Old St. Nicholas.... and it goes down hill from there! What a hoot! WE play it up as a serious piece that of course goes crazy! Lots of fun.
I also ditto the earlier recommendation of the Kevin Price collection. Excellent arrangments. There are sets called the "Christmas Crackers" by Harvey and Iveson that have alot of traditional english carols done up very nicely. Noel Nouvolet by Keith Snell. I have arrs. of the Sleigh Ride by Mozart and Leroy Andersons' Sleigh Ride. A set of Nutcracker pieces by Waddell. I also added the Trepak and Chocolate piecs. A Festival of Alfred Burt Carols by Hawley Ades. Hope that helps.
ken k