Looking for fresh and fun repertoire for your next holiday recital or performance event? You’ll love these pop-style solos and easy duets that are guaranteed to add sparkle to your next event!
1. “Joyful and Triumphant” (Intermediate)
A more contemporary take on the traditional carol “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” this arrangement features a syncopated melody line above a flowing left hand accompaniment. The use of rolled chords and octaves in the bass add a touch of drama to this lyrical solo.
2. “Rompin’ Reindeer” (Intermediate)
“Up on the housetop, reindeer pause…” Just what kind of mischief do those reindeer get into up there? Students will have fun exploring the toe-tappin’ rhythm, jazzy harmonies, and scampering passages in the melody line of this playful piece.
3. “Into the Light” (Intermediate)
This re-imagining of the Christmas carol “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” will appeal to students who enjoy dramatic, minor-key pieces. The melody from the original carol is interwoven with new material and set above a flowing left hand accompaniment to create a fresh take on the traditional Christmas song.
4. “From Every Mountain Top” (Intermediate)
The traditional song “Go Tell it on the Mountain” is a Christmas staple. This soulful arrangement will introduce students to several techniques found in gospel piano music: stride bass, seventh chords, chromatic passing chords, grace notes (or “slip” notes), and pentatonic “fills” in the melody line.
5. “First Snowfall” (Evenly-Leveled Duet for Late Beginners)
This lyrical duet depicts the magic of the first snow of the season! The simple rhythm and few position shifts used in this piece allow late beginners to focus on listening to one another and working together to create a beautiful sound.
Listen to “First Snowfall”:
6. “3 Rockin’ Kings” (Evenly-Leveled Duet for Late Beginners)
This fun duet offers a rock ‘n roll take on the well-known Christmas song “We 3 Kings.” Both primo and secondo get an opportunity to play the melody line, and both parts feature simple, syncopated rhythms that fit together to create a rockin’ sound.
Listen to “3 Rockin’ Kings”:
7. “Whispers of Winter” (Evenly-Leveled Duet for Late Beginners)
Five well-known holiday carols weave together to create this dramatic medley! Late beginners will enjoy working together to find and voice out the melody of each of these five famous tunes as they appear throughout the piece: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, Ukrainian Bell Carol, Jingle Bells, We Three Kings, and What Child Is This.
Listen to “Whispers of Winter”:
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