10093 – Holly and Ivy

A Medley of Traditional Christmas Tunes

Arranged by Roger Harvey

for 10-piece brass ensemble and percussion

Difficulty: Medium

Price: £30

Programme notes:
Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Sans Day Carol
The Holly and the Ivy
Good King Wenceslas
This light-hearted medley contains five well-known traditional Christmas songs from England and Wales.
After a brief introduction, the first song is the 16th Century Welsh carol, 'Deck the Halls'. Although this New Year carol has its own Welsh lyrics it is best known in its version with unrelated English words added at a later date.
'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' is an English carol dating from the 18th Century. It was mentioned by Dickens in A Christmas Carol: "at the first sound of 'God bless you, merry gentlemen! May nothing you dismay!', Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost."
'Sans Day Carol' a folk song from Cornwall with similar words to 'The Holly and the Ivy', gets its title from the place in which it was heard and collected in the 19th Century, St Day. It is here dressed as a jazz waltz.
'The Holly and the Ivy' gets an unusual slow and lush treatment. It was collected by Cecil Sharpe in Cornwall in 19th Century but has roots much farther back in time and combines the pagan symbols of the Winter festivities with a Christian message.
The words of 'Good King Wenceslas' tell the story of the legendary 10th Century Bohemian Duke's piety and charity in the face of hardship. They are set to a 13th Century tune which is here given an up-beat big-band treatment.
Performance notes:
Sections of the Trumpet 1 part may be best on an E flat or piccolo trumpet.
Trumpet 4 requires a flugel.
The percussion part can be adapted as necessary or enhanced if more players and equipment are available at the discretion of the players/conductor.
Begin in a majestic style.
Deck the Halls: keep everything neatly articulated and full of cheeky character.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: play with a rhythmic swing, slow blues style.
Sans Day Carol: keep the accompaniment of this very light while making much of the articulations. The melody can be played with a little freedom and slightly swung.
The Holly and the Ivy: be flexible and a bit indulgent with the phrasing. The tutti should be full and warm but well controlled dynamically.
Good King Wenceslas: in the first verse really observe and perhaps exaggerate the markings. Swing the 2nd verse.