Arrangements for Woodwinds

Six Traditional Carols
Arranged by Dale Elmshaeuser

The carols are "Joy to the World;" "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (Tune: St. Louis); "Silent Night, Holy Night;" "Cold December Flies Away;" "We Three Kings of Orient Are;" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain." These are in the same format as the Six Traditional Carols for brasses, but they are different carols, and in the woodwind idiom. Each carol has a traditional setting in the typical group singing key, followed by a more harmonically or rhythmically varied alternate setting. The entire composition, or parts of it, can be played as an instrumental suite; or individual carols can be chosen. The woodwinds can play with or without the organist, who would read from the Conductor/Keyboard Score.

This arrangement can be played by as few as four instruments. Parts are included for Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, I-III Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, I & II Alto Saxes, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, and F Horn, so that quartets can be formed in different ways, or various doublings may be made for larger ensembles. The difficulty level is 3. (Two of the alternate settings have many sixteenth notes, but each instrument has only a few at a time.)

Full set includes a Conductor/Keyboard Score, transposed parts for individual instruments, background notes, and suggestions for performance with or without the congregation and choir.