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This is my first submission (of two) to the YCF 2025 Christmas Event. We are all awaiting (or at least the children do wait for) Christmas Eve. Since there are still a few days to go, the time should be peaceful and quiet – despite the stress and noise as it is in reality. Thus, the idea behind this piece is to imagine the night before Christmas, the church where crowds of people will gather tomorrow to celebrate Christmas Eve. The church is empty, or seems to be empty, but there are three musicians playing a piece that is reminiscent of either night music or a final rehearsal before the upcoming concert.

Dear all, Happy Christmas for all of you! I used common Xmas tunes to create a cute mesh up! I can't remember how many times I wrote a piece for Christmas - but I gonna try sth new this year. A very short and casual piece by blending different genre - Chime playing Flamenco in triplets (3rd and 10th beats are strong beats) Marimba playing Salsa (Doted rhythm) Ukelele - in standard rhythms

Another little one-minute instrumental carol to add to the ones I've written previously.

Here is my submission for this year's Christmas event, a through composed setting of the coventry carol. Enjoy, and let me know your thoughts! Coventry Carol.mp3

Well I would say quite a number of people do this as they only post on forum but never review other members' works... So if this breaks rule a lot of members will be considered as breaking rules... Henry

Hi @mercurypickles! I like the more antique mood in the carol and how you end each phrase in a Picardy 3rd! And I always love how calm and transcendental F# major is (even though you mark the key signature as F# minor). Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Luis Hernández! I love how peaceful this piece is. That bare A I don't know why, reminds me of the Veris leta facies in Carmina Burana: Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Vavrinec! This is a really enjoyable festive little miniature! It's so joyful to listen to, and even if the mood sounds easy you still use technique to make it sound easy. The opening is already captivating with the 6/8 lively rhythm. The combination of the flute melody, high shivering tremolo strings, running notes for Clarinet and the triangle aleady set the festive tone really well, and then the oboe joins in which is a nice addition. I may repeat the whole section but this with the strings doing the melody and winds doing the accompaniment. For the trio section I like how you give lower register instrument like bassoon and cello to sing the melody, contrasting with the main section, plus in a warmer subdominant key. B.25-32 gives great depth to the melody and I really love how you add the sleigh bell ! Honestly I just want the passage to extend to infinity! And the end, what a nice random pause! It really creates a humorous effect that is well suited to the mood of the piece. Really nice piece, thx for sharing! Henry

March of the Snowflakes is an orchestral miniature written in a quasi march tempo, inspired by the playful motion of falling snow. This piece was composed as a small seasonal contribution to the Christmas Challenge 2025. I would be very grateful for any feedback, comments, or suggestions. Thank you for listening and sharing your thoughts.

For this piece I made two versions. While inputting the piece with all its microtones into Musescore, it ended up sounding quite bad with all the microtones that I had included (probably owing to the fact that the piece is already quite dissonant without the microtones). So I removed all the microtones and made a version of it that's free of any microtones. That's the 1st version. Then, once I was done with that version of the piece, I went back and made a 2nd version with very light microtonal embellishments, mostly only in the melodic voices and only on minor chords (making them sub-minor in 24TET, meaning I brought the minor 3rd of minor chords down a quarter-step). My intent with using those particular microtones is to make the piece even darker than it would be if it was just a regular minor key piece. But let me know what you think about both versions and which one you like better! I welcome your comments, suggestions, critiques or just observations. Thanks for listening!

HI, I have notice volume of uploads of rather short pieces from member. Some are old; some are new-ish. The issue I see he or she does not seem to provide active feedback on other members compositions. I want this member to flourish and learn, but...

@Wieland Handke I truly love the baroque instruments you have chosen for this trio. The counterpoint between them creates rich harmonies and melodies! I can see how this would be played with in a church.

Thanks for listening! I do think there's some Baroque influence in it, though the Hummel concerto was probably the model most present in my head. As I was writing the second movement, I did worry the style was veering too far toward Romanticism, but I liked the movement and didn't want to change it.

Thanks for listening! Yeah, I was going for an antique English sound with those C naturals. By the way, I've been intending to listen to your C sharp minor sonata in full (I listened to the first movement when you first posted it on YouTube) but want to do so when I have plenty of time to enjoy it and give you comments.

My zeroth submission:

It is a very enjoyable and coherent concerto. Discussing its style is complicated, even if we use it as a point of reference. For me, it evokes certain Baroque memories, but that is due to the solo instrument: the trumpet, given that there are hardly any concertos for it in the Classical period (aside from Haydn and Hummel) and even fewer in the Romantic era. I find the first movement to be more in line with a Classical approach, while the Adagio feels more Romantic. In any case, it is a great piece of work in terms of composition, orchestration, and editing.

Your replies make me believe more that you may be lobbyist or salesperson of Suno lol... Maybe you never write absolute music yourself... Tintinnabuli is a technique and compostional style, but I guess if I explain to you I will once again be stigmatized as "elitism" ,so, 😴. Henry

I like the microtonal version more than the normal D minor version this time, because it makes the theme even more haunting and grosteque. I really love the harmony here, and that piccolo is toxic to listen to. The timbre is very well created especially with the double bass to create the evil mood. The only thiing sounds slightly off to me is the recording's solo violin, which to me sound a bit too loud comparing to all other passages. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Aiwendil! Just like @Luis Hernández said this one is very joyful and solemn to listen to. I love how you augur the theme by trumpet first and then followed by other instruments. That Lydian sounding C natural in b.16 and 20 hints at a more antique English style and I like it. The imitation section follows is nicely done as well, and very nice reprise as well, with the Amen cadence at the end! Thx for sharing! P.S. Thx for your comments on my youtube channel for my Violin Sonata! Henry

Mike this one is funny! The mashup doesn't sound too off together and well fitted to the Xmas mood haha. Henry

Hi @Wieland Handke! Of course this one is more colorful than your first submission, but both are good in their own ways. The first one in a chamber setting is more calm and serene in character, while this one is more "universal" and broader with an orchestral setting. Thx for sharing the second version and submission! Henry

Hi @Wieland Handke! I love how the three instruments blend together and honestly this is the first time I heard of the instrument Theorbo and it said it's somewhat like a lower register lute. Like Mike said this piece is really calm, especially with the lower volume organ and the Theorbo. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @HoYin Cheung! It sounds a lot like the interlocking structure of Gamelan but this time with chimes and marimba haha. Nice polyrhythm as well. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Crescent Roulade! This Christmas piece gives me a Chinese feeling because of its use of pentatonic notes. I do enjoy this little piece! Like @PeterthePapercomPoser said I perceive the melody to begin rather on beat than in syncopation, and in 4/4 time than 8/4 time. Thx for joining the event! Henry

Thank you, I'm glad you like it. To be honest, I have no idea how Suno works. But in that case, the basis of this piece, which is the tintinnabuli, would be broken.

Thanks! Yeah, I think I would have a hard time writing an extended piece for brass ensemble too.

I always find it very difficult to compose for these types of ensembles. This piece sounds quite solemn, but it also stirs up certain emotions. Thank you.

Ohhh, so short but so expressive... I'm a huge fan of these mashups!

I have no words, haha. I absolutely adore the style and the period you inspired yourself with. Plus, seeing all the details in the sheet music is a joy. And the music certainly lives up to it. Thanks!

Ohhh, one of my favorite pieces from this Christmas Event! The combination of the three keyboard instruments is very original yet effective at the same time. The presentation and the score are beautiful.

An incredibly interesting brief piece—I'm really hooked. I like the polyrhythm and how well it's put together. I'm not really catching the flamenco rhythm, though (haha... I come from the land of flamenco, so forgive me!).

This was fantastic to listen to! Your first submission was fun, but I feel like this one offers a lot more color and character. Excellent usage of all the instruments. The piece moved along, was extremely focused and had good momentum. I also feel like every note served a purpose. Well done.

What a great piece, and very soothing. A perfect way to calm one's nerves during the stress of this holiday!

Nice blending of styles, and a fun little catchy tune. Love the animated Santa graphic haha.

That’s delicate, precious and beautiful. I think if you put that in Suno and add some girl singing and tinker with it, it would be super awesome