Of Angels, Kings and Clear, Silent Night - Sheet Music for Brass Ensemble Barton Cummings (Arr.)

Of Angels, Kings and Clear, Silent Night - A Christmas Fantasy by Barton Cummings

A difficulty level of 4 brings very challenging rhythms to the piece. Syncopation is used abundantly, as are the more extreme ranges for all instruments.

Contents
Angels We Have Heard On High
We Three Kings of Orient Are
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Silent Night.

Instrumentation
3 Trumpets
2 French Horns
2 Trombones
Euphonium
Tuba

Originally, a "carol" was a dance, and over time the word came to describe the melody or tune to which people danced. Today, Christmas carols are commonly associated with joyful hymns that are played and sung during the Christmas season. Often, however, the music is performed and sung too seriously and solemnly, which is incorrect, for Christmas should be the most joyful time of the year. When researching the original versions or versions considered as such, the information differs considerably from what one would expect. Therefore, they should be performed "cheerfully and with lightness of spirit."

The intention of this arrangement is to offer something different from the usual collection of Christmas carols. While there will always be inevitable comparisons with the highly praised standard orchestral arrangement by Leroy Anderson, this monumental work will never be surpassed by the present arrangement. The intention was also to create a cohesive work rather than individual arrangements.

In some cases, the harmony has been completely altered from the original to give a sense of freshness, particularly in "Silent Night, Holy Night". For those who find this harmony too harsh or cold, there are numerous arrangements of a more traditional nature. In other cases, the intentions of the composers have been faithfully followed.