A Merry Christmas Indeed

Hey guys, it's been awhile. Last year, I devoted a piece to Christmas time....with a twist.However, that piece was not so great. So this year I wrote another piece entitled " A Merry Christmas Indeed." I also felt that now is a fitting time to post this work since Halloween is right around the corner.The .pdf and .mp3 file should be posted. I would love if you guys/girls looked at the score and give me things to improve on, and things of that nature. I hope to redeem myself from last years piece with this work. I hope you enjoy "A Merry Christmas Indeed."A Merry Christmas Indeed

A Merry Christmas Indeed

I'll post what I said in the shoutbox.

Ferkungamabo... : (Today, 01:20 PM) A Minor Christmas Indeed?

Ferkungamabo... : (Today, 01:22 PM) hmm. You've got some neat ideas, but I'd worry about the gimmickiness

Ferkungamabo... : (Today, 01:23 PM) Area around 1:20 is promising

Ferkungamabo... : (Today, 01:24 PM) but then more christmas carols --- which i get, but i'd rather hear not an arrangement

Ferkungamabo... : (Today, 01:24 PM) And then a hxcx drum break?

Ferkungamabo... : (Today, 01:25 PM) i guess...

Ferkungamabo... : (Today, 01:25 PM) What modes did you use for the "minor" carols?

Ferkungamabo... : (Today, 01:26 PM) i could figure it out, but why when you're right here.

Ferkungamabo... : (Today, 01:28 PM) ok thats cool

Ferkungamabo... : (Today, 01:30 PM) I mean, either way It's Christmas music -- which really is like nails on a chalkboard to me

I think for what you aimed to do, this is a nice piece. With that said, I think if any kids heard this, they'd be terrified of Christmas forever... Nice work though! You really made these tunes your own, not just a copy paste arrangement like a lot of Christmas arrangements.

The arranging business has always been one that has frustrated me. On one hand, yes, bands/choirs/orchestras of all stripes do need the classic carols and tunes to play (what else are they supposed to put on their Christmas concerts?), but on the other, one would think that after several thousand arrangements in the exceedingly traditional vein even the arrangers would be tired of it.

Why can't everyone approach arranging with this kind of panache?

I love it. The mad-cap, demented take on some of the more chirpy carols is delightfully wicked-- its as if the entire ensemble were smirking at the audience. This would be great on a Christmas Concert, especially as an opener-- imagine the stunned faces of the audience when the conductor announces that they will be playing a medley of carols to start the concert, then launches into this zany, almost Elfmann-esque adventure!

Lovely work, always glad to see arranging done with this kind of flair.

Okay...this made me smile. Too funny.... :lol:

Okay, *liked.*

It's a shame that this piece is so easily construed as being totally tongue-in-cheek, because it's really got a pretty good depth for being what amounts to a medley. I think where the depth takes a turn down cheeky-lane is at the "jingle bells" melody and Rudolf melody. Because the theme is SO obviously altered, it's gone from a creative take on familiar themes to a composer simply minor-izing a major melody and smiling about it. Do you really want to give this piece over to that much humor at the end, when it started so strong?

In any event, this is so going on my list of "YC compositions to play someday with a HS band." I can imagine how much fun playing this would be.

That said, some criticisms: the biggest one is that you don't give the listener enough of what they want. There's a game of thwarting the listener's expectations that composers must play, but this isn't that sort of piece. This piece hits it hard and heavy. So let your runs go to object notes that make sense. E.G. m.55 was disappointing. Also, I'd like to hear more variety in one melody in which voice gets the repeating eighth notes vs melody.

A lot of the transitions are a bit abrupt. Be careful about sudden tempo changes without anything to help usher it in.

LOVE the percussion stuff.

Love to stay and chat some more, but I have to run. Thanks for sharing!