Christmas Music

I know it's a little late for Christmas music, but while I'm thinking about it (and putting it away) I thought I'd share some of my favorites that I've collected the last few years.  It helps having a mom who is also a piano teacher because we can share ideas on fun music we've learned.  

The first book of pieces is The Holly And the Ivory, with piano arrangements by various people.  My favorites in the book are The Holly and the Ivy, In the Bleak Midwinter, Once In Royal David's City, and Bring a Toch, Jeanette, Isabella.  There are fun rhythms and they are just great pieces to learn pretty quickly if you're already an advanced pianist.  I love that I can just pull the book out in November or early December and play through a couple of times and be performance ready for the month of December.

For a sample of the music, click here.

To purchase music from Amazon, go here

Next up is Christmas Celebration arranged by Tom Roed.  This book has a good variety of pieces from old classic Christmas carols to movie themes and more lighter carols.  My favorites are Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Jingle Bells and Silent Night.

To see a sample of the music, click here.

Another book i have enjoyed is Dan Coates The Best in Christmas Music Complete.  This one also has a great selection of different types of Christmas music.  My favorites are Deck the Halls (in the style of Mozart), We Three Kings of Orient Are, and Angels We Have Heard on High.

To see a sample of the music, click here.

To purchase music from Amazon, go here

I saved my favorite book for last.  This one is called Christmas Treasures by Jim Lucas.  There are some lovely lullaby-like ones, and yet others are jazzy and make you want to get up and dance.  Very fun to play and they sound impressive as well.  My favorites are Away in a Manger, Deck the Halls (in 12/8 time), God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, Joy to the World, and Silent Night.

To purchase music, go here

And for a bonus today, some great duet music:  The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky arranged for piano, four-hands by Langer-Sternberg.  My mom and I play these duets together every year at Christmastime and have a blast.  Whether it's trying to stay together at the end of the Russian Dance (Trepak) that gets faster and faster to the end, or the arpeggios in Dance of the Candy Fairy-- we just have fun with our annual tradition.  This is technically "intermediate level" but if you only play it once a year, it's good that it's not any more difficult.  :)

To see inside the music, go here.

  To purchase on Amazon, go here

Do you have any favorite Christmas music you enjoy playing?  Please share! Thanks for stopping by!