Christmas and Holiday Concerts

As a music educator, you probably feel like the new school year has just started—and, yet, it’s time to start thinking about holiday concerts. Along with your regular curriculum, ensembles, marching band, and other activities, schedule some time to review your school’s concert calendar and begin planning the music for your concert band, choir, or jazz band performances.

A dedicated calendar and/or checklist will help you manage all of the details. Here are a few tips for getting organized:

School Christmas Concert Logistics

  • Confirm the space available for your concert dates.
  • Arrange a meeting with other music educators in your school or district to share ideas and to coordinate music selections.
  • Develop a communications strategy to keep in touch with administration and parents.
  • Begin promoting the concert(s) through newsletters, school calendars, and on social media – coordinate these efforts with all music educators in your school.
  • About six weeks before the concert:
    • Line up volunteers to help at the auditorium.
    • Make plans for backstage setup and confirm that equipment will be available.
    • Create the program and arrange to have it printed.
    • Plan the script for introducing the concert.

Planning Your Christmas Program

  • Decide on a theme for the concert.
  • Consider your students’ age group and level of playing.
  • Vary the musical selections to include Christmas songs (both traditional and contemporary), Hanukah songs, Kwanza music, and secular winter-themed songs.Most schools prefer to avoid overtly religious themes and focus, instead, on the educational and multi-cultural aspects of the music.
  • As you plan the order of the songs and music, take into account tempo, difficulty, style, and themes.

Concert Band Music Selections for the Holidays

If you have selected a theme for the concert, include some music reflective of the theme. Perhaps you’re planning something like a winter wonderland - White Christmas would be perfect. This arrangement is for brass, woodwinds, or strings, includes percussion and features a fun, light rock styling. If the concert is to be performed by middle school musicians, some popular music such as A Home Alone Christmas would be fun for everyone as would be A Charlie Brown Christmas. Older students might enjoy learning and performing selections such as Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You or A Celtic Christmas, a medley with Celtic musical styling.

Choir Music Selections for Christmas

For choir, there are countless wonderful options. Of course, you’ll want to include perennial favorites, but maybe arranged in a fresh style. This Christmas Favorites Song Kit is sure to be a hit and includes scores for two directors and 40 singers. Another audience pleaser is Carol of the Christmas Bells, a beautiful mash-up of three traditional carols with additional original lyrics.

Jazz Band Christmas Selections

Let your jazz band swing into the holidays with terrific musical selections such as this Easy Jazz Ensemble Pack featuring five popular holiday songs. White Christmas Jazz Band is an easy to learn rendition, scored for six horns. A Charlie Brown Christmas comes to life with this delightful medley for young jazz ensemble players.

Have fun planning and directing your holiday concerts. With good organization, plenty of rehearsal time, and great music, your musicians will bring seasonal joy to their audiences.

A Few More Music Selections

Concert Band

A Lullaby for Christmas  - an expressive styling of the Coventry Carol

This Christmas for Young Concert Band - includes a short solo for alto sax

Choir

Rhapsody of Christmas Medley - a joyful pop Christmas medley

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - this lush, jazzy arrangement is ideal for choirs of all levels

Stock up on Christmas and holiday music

Music educators are eligible for up to 20% off print music – every day – at Woodwind & Brasswind. Call our school music experts to submit your quote or shop online on the Educator Website – it’s easy and convenient. And, if you’re having any trouble finding the piece you want, or need help sorting through the hundreds of titles we offer, don’t hesitate to call us at 800.346.4448.