Scored for Chorus and Full Orchestra; Duration is 4 minutes
Below are the details regarding this piece.
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Duration & Difficulty Level
Featured Carol
Description
Quotes & Reviews
Instrumentation
Duration & Difficulty Level DURATION: ca. 4 minutes
DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR CHORUS: Moderately Difficult — recommended for professional choirs or high-quality community choirs
DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR ORCHESTRA: Difficult — recommended only for professional symphony or pops orchestras
Carol Featured in the Arrangement
"The Twelve Days of Christmas"
(Words & Melody: Traditional English)
(Note: This is an original work based on a carol whose words and melody are in the public domain. This work is copyright by Peter Bloesch, and all rights are reserved, including the right to perform, record, or broadcast the piece.)
This arrangement is very light on its feet. While it certainly has moments of grandeur, the majority of the piece features crystal-clear orchestration that's colorful but transparent, allowing the charmingly quaint words of this traditional carol to shine through effortlessly. And this gossamer texture of verses 1 through 11 only serves to make the final verse all the more thrilling, with its triumphant maestoso closing the piece on a note of high drama.
Even though the melody of this traditional carol is quite repetitive, this arrangement ensures variety through the use of vivid word-painting. Each verse of the text evokes a compelling image (like swimming swans or leaping lords), and the orchestration makes a point of highlighting these contrasting images, thus making each verse fresh and interesting.
This new take on an old favorite promises to deliver lots of fun and festivity!
Joe Harnell, Hollywood composer and arranger:
"Peter, I'm anxious to endorse how much I admire your pops music — it's an absolute delight! I just love the imagination that you've put into these sparkling, charming pieces.
"I really enjoyed the playfulness and inventiveness of your 'Twelve Days of Christmas' arrangement. I have to admit I was surprised by how dramatically you've transformed this simple tune! This repetitive carol tends to 'drag' in a lot of arrangements I've heard, but in your hands it really sparkles with excitement, energy, and a top-notch orchestration. And what a great climax at the end! Very impressive, Peter!
"I hope that orchestras around the country will take note of these arrangements, because they're terrific!"
— Joe HarnellFilm Composer and Lecturer; Arranger for many celebrated singers, including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Beverly Sills
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Instrumentation for "The Twelve Days of Christmas"
3 Flutes (3rd doubles on Piccolo), 2 Oboes, 1 English Horn, 3 Clarinets in Bb (3rd doubles on Bass Clarinet), 2 Bassoons, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horns, 3 Trumpets in C, 3 Trombones (2 tenors and 1 bass), 1 Tuba
4 Percussionists: 1 timpanist (4 timps) ; 3 percussionists on the following instruments: Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Chimes, Vibraphone, Piatti, Suspended Cymbal, Sizzle Cymbal (suspended), 2 Snare Drums (2nd is optional), Triangle, Tambourine, Mark Tree, Bell Tree, Finger Cymbal
1 Harp
1 Electronic Keyboard, with the following sounds: acoustic piano, celeste
Strings
SATB Chorus
