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Holiday & Winter Concert Repertoire: Festive Music Ideas for Educators – 2024
Posted October 11, 2024 in News by Cosmo Music
In-stock Repertoire to Perform at Your Holiday / Winter Concert
Discover 27 handpicked musical gems that elevate student learning and festive performance.
Time to read: 12 minutes
Are you still searching for the perfect pieces to feature at your holiday or winter concert? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Below is a selection of concert band and jazz ensemble repertoire, thoughtfully curated to suit a range of grade levels. These pieces are sure to engage your students and delight parents during this festive season.
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Michael Cybulskie
Educational Print Music Specialist
905-770-5222 x259
1-888-463-4001
Concert Band Holiday / Winter Repertoire
Concert band holiday repertoire includes original and arranged selections of well-known holiday classics from respected composers and arrangers. These pieces are available in grades ranging from 0.5 for first-year players, 1 to 1.5 for beginner players, 2 to 2.5 for junior players, and 3 for intermediate players. The selections feature both secular and non-secular themes, along with a winter motif, offering a variety of traditional and light-hearted repertoire for your upcoming holiday performance.
Nicholas Variations
Grade: 0.5
Arranger: Michael Kamuf
Cosmo SKU: P100176576 | Alfred #: 00-47376
👉 Shop Nicholas Variations
All instruments get an opportunity to play melodic material in this energetic setting of Jolly Old Saint Nicholas. Three brief variations are introduced that use only six notes, and no key signatures.
A Festive Finale
Grade: 1
Arranger: Brian Balmages
Cosmo SKU: P100149263 | FJH / Alfred #: 98-B1789
👉 Shop A Festive Finale
A thrilling and energetic closer that pairs perfectly with A Festive Fanfare and brings your program full circle. Loosely based on the opening notes of the fanfare, this holiday sequel is a great way to tie your entire program together and end in a truly festive fashion.
Have a Swingin’ Merry Christmas!
Grade: 1
Arranger: Douglas E. Wagner
Cosmo SKU: P100167846 | Alfred #: 00-47380
👉 Shop Have a Swingin’ Merry Christmas!
This beginning holiday medley is sure to put a smile on Santa’s face, teaching basic swing style by incorporating Deck the Halls and Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, with a tip of the hat to Jingle Bells.
Joy! A Holiday Fanfare
Grade: 1
Arranger: Patrick Roszell
Cosmo SKU: P100171299 | Alfred #: 00-46613
👉 Shop Joy! A Holiday Fanfare
Fanfare setting of two holiday favourites, including Angels We Have Heard on High and Joy to the World. A great way to open or close your holiday concert.
Winter Wonderland
Grade: 1
Arranger: Michael Story
Cosmo SKU: P100190660 | Alfred #: 00-CB9838
👉 Shop Winter Wonderland
When audiences want to remember seeing fluffy white snow during the festive season, nothing is finer than serenading them with this classic holiday standard. For your least experienced musicians, it’s the perfect choice for their first winter performance.
A Letter To Santa
Grade: 1-1.5
Arranger: Timothy Loest
Cosmo SKU: P100149301 | FJH / Alfred #: 98-B1724
👉 Shop A Letter To Santa
A magical yuletide gem for student narrator(s) and band that brings to life the tradition of writing a letter to Santa. Beginning with Jolly Old St. Nicholas and ending with We Wish You a Merry Christmas, each gift request is followed by carols including Ring Little Bells, Jingle Bells, I Saw Three Ships, Silent Night, O Christmas Tree, I Have a Little Dreidel, and Auld Lang Syne. A sure-fire hit for your next holiday program!
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Grade: 1.5
Arranger: Johnnie Vinson
Cosmo SKU: P100150932 | Hal Leonard #: 04006045
👉 Shop All I Want For Christmas Is You
Arranged in a swing style similar to the original, this Mariah Carey holiday favourite minimizes the use of eighth notes, making it very playable by most second-year players.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Grade: 1.5
Arranger: Paul Murtha
Cosmo SKU: P100152037 | Hal Leonard #: 8725280
👉 Shop Baby, It’s Cold Outside
A terrific-sounding arrangement for young players featuring the famous duet from the 1940s, which has been recorded by countless artists over the years, and was recently featured in the hit movie Elf.
A Holiday Sing-Along
Grade: 2
Arranger: John Moss
Cosmo SKU: P100168698 | Hal Leonard #: 08724838
👉 Shop A Holiday Sing-Along
Involve your whole school with this easy holiday medley for band and choir. An excellent concert finale, it is designed to be performed with or without the choir. Includes: Deck the Hall, Jingle Bells, O Christmas Tree, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Grade: 2
Arranger: Michael Brown
Cosmo SKU: P100150931 | Hal Leonard #: 04004336
👉 Shop All I Want For Christmas Is You
Mariah Carey’s holiday tune, recorded in 1994, is becoming a go-to favourite year after year. Starting with a moderate tempo and lyrical introduction, this very effective arrangement for young bands moves into an upbeat swing style with a nice variety in scoring textures and dynamics.
Santa Baby
Grade: 2
Arranger: Michael Brown
Cosmo SKU: P100182271 | Hal Leonard #: 08725325
👉 Shop Santa Baby
A clever arrangement for young band of this tongue-in-cheek holiday favourite. Originally recorded by Eartha Kitt in the 1950s, it has also been covered by a wide variety of artists including Madonna, Faith Evans, and Taylor Swift.
‘Tis the Season
Grade: 2
Arranger: Brian Beck
Cosmo SKU: P100187795 | Alfred #: 00-47271
👉 Shop Tis the Season
Your holiday audiences will be delighted with a charming set of variations on this popular Christmas carol. A jolly setting leads to a Spanish bolero, a spirited march, and a Bach-style fugue, ending with a traditional setting full of holiday spirit!
Twelve Carols for Christmas
Grade: 2
Arranger: Douglas E. Wagner
Cosmo SKU: P100188795 | Alfred #: 00-45783
👉 Shop Twelve Carols for Christmas
A baker’s dozen of joyous familiar tunes (due to flawed counting) jam-packed in an energetic setting. Rapidly shifting metres, styles, timbres, and dynamics will usher in your holiday season.
A Jazzy Christmas
Grade: 3
Arranger: Johnnie Vinson
Cosmo SKU: P100149286 | Hal Leonard #: 04001291
👉 Shop A Jazzy Christmas
A creative use of traditional carol favourites arranged in a light and appealing jazzy style. Includes: We Wish You a Merry Christmas, The Holly and the Ivy, and Good King Wenceslas.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Grade: 3
Arranger: John Moss
Cosmo SKU: P100152039 | Hal Leonard #: 04001157
👉 Shop Baby, It’s Cold Outside
A popular holiday standard (featured in the movie Elf) that is cleverly arranged to feature a duet with flexible instrument combinations. It is sure to become a holiday favourite with your band.
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
Grade: 3
Arranger: John Higgins / Audry Snyder
Cosmo SKU: P100157750 | Hal Leonard #: 04001618
👉 Shop The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
An ideal finale for your performance with this timeless holiday classic. A feature for either band with alto saxophone solo, or band and choir.
White Christmas (Vocal Solo or Alto Saxophone Solo with Concert Band)
Grade: 3
Arranger: John Moss
Cosmo SKU: P100190466 | Hal Leonard #: 04000702
👉 Shop White Christmas (Vocal Solo or Alto Saxophone Solo with Concert Band)
Timeless Irving Berlin holiday standard that can be performed with either a vocal soloist or alto saxophone soloist, backed by a shimmering concert band accompaniment.
Jazz Ensemble Holiday / Winter Repertoire
Jazz ensemble holiday repertoire includes original compositions and well-known standards in various jazz styles. Performers typically need at least 1 to 2 years of experience in a concert band setting to participate in a jazz ensemble. Arrangements range from 1 to 1.5 for beginner players, 2 to 2.5 for junior players, and 3 to 3.5 for intermediate players. The selections encompass both secular and non-secular themes, with a winter motif, offering a diverse repertoire that includes swing, Latin, rock, and ballad styles. These choices will be perfect for your upcoming holiday performance.
Merry Christmas and All That Jazz
Grade: 1
Arranger: Mike Story
Cosmo SKU: P100174676 | Alfred #: 00-47502
👉 Shop Merry Christmas and All That Jazz
An easy-to-play jazz waltz with a tempo at 128 BPM, featuring two holiday songs, The Holly and the Ivy and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The trumpet 1 range is to written F top line, with no individual solos and lots of optional parts.
Sugar Plum Swing
Grade: 1
Arranger: Mike Story
Cosmo SKU: P100185474 | Alfred #: 00-46148
👉 Shop Sugar Plum Swing
An excellent, easier arrangement of the holiday staple The Nutcracker Suite‘s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies, with a written tenor sax solo and well-notated rhythm section parts.
Christmas Is Coming (from a Charlie Brown Christmas)
Grade: 1.5
Arranger: Mark Taylor
Cosmo SKU: P100157730 | Hal Leonard #: 07013174
👉 Shop Christmas Is Coming (from a Charlie Brown Christmas)
A light-hearted Vince Guaraldi composition recognizable from the popular Charlie Brown Christmas TV special.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Grade: 2
Arranger: Mike Lewis
Cosmo SKU: P100182275 | Alfred #: 00-JEM03011
👉 Shop Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Santa is swingin’ into town with this holiday chestnut, using logical swing figures, written-out or ad-libbed solos for tenor sax and piano, along with lots of ensemble playing. Toss in a few modulations and you have the perfect, recognizable holiday swing chart!
Two Front Teeth
Grade: 2
Arranger: Paul Baker
Cosmo SKU: P100188846 | Alfred #: 00-38671
👉 Shop Two Front Teeth
A clever samba based on the holiday novelty song. It begins with a medium rubato intro, then kicks into a medium-tempo samba with the melody being bounced around to all sections. After the montuno interlude, a solo section is introduced with second trumpet solos (written), sax soli, second trombone solo (written), then concludes with a big shout chorus and out.
Mary, Did You Know?
Grade: 2.5
Arranger: Rich Sigler
Cosmo SKU: P100174201 | Alfred #: 00-47029
👉 Shop Mary, Did You Know?
A beautiful holiday rock ballad featuring your first tenor sax player. Optional parts for flute, clarinet, and vibraphone are also included.
(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays
Grade: 3
Arranger: John Wasson
Cosmo SKU: P100168742 | Hal Leonard #: 07013466
👉 Shop (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays
A lush and easy-flowing bossa nova setting of the familiar Perry Como holiday tune sure to get you into the festive spirit. Solos are included for alto sax and flugelhorn.
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Grade: 3
Arranger: John Berry
Cosmo SKU: P100150930 | Hal Leonard #: 07012339
👉 Shop All I Want For Christmas Is You
This upbeat tune, recorded by Mariah Carey, has become a new holiday favourite year after year. A great-sounding arrangement in a straight-ahead, medium swing style with the melody traded around from section to section, with no solos required.
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Grade: 3
Arranger: Alan Baylock
Cosmo SKU: P100172912 | Alfred #: 00-38669
👉 Shop Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
A swingin’ holiday arrangement that was adapted from the USAF Airmen of Note chart, featuring the saxophone section, including solo space for all five, with written-out solos for each. Lead trumpet range is to written B above the staff.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Vocal Duet)
Grade: 3
Arranger: Paul Murtha
Cosmo SKU: P100152040 | Hal Leonard #: 07012511
👉 Shop Baby, It’s Cold Outside
A versatile arrangement of the familiar holiday classic, often performed as a vocal duet for a girl and guy. This version will also work as a vocal solo with tenor sax playing the guy vocal part. In addition, optional parts are included allowing the duet to be performed using flugelhorn (or trumpet) and tenor sax.
Find the Complete Repertoire Lists
- Complete 2024 Holiday & Winter Concert Repertoire (27 Selections)
- Complete 2023-2024 Diamond Collection (33 Selections)
- Complete 2019-2020 Diamond Collection (79 Selections)
Get in Touch with Michael Cybulskie
With a wealth of expertise, Michael’s extensive knowledge and hands-on experience contribute to a collection that reflects not just musical quality, but an understanding of the practicalities involved in leading and teaching ensembles. If you have any repertoire questions, Michael is happy to help!
- 905-770-5222 x259
- 1-888-463-4001
- michael.cybulskie@cosmo.ca
10 Via Renzo Drive
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4S 0B6
Canada
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