Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed

One of the most favorite band music compositions of all time is a piece called "Russian Christmas Music" composed by American band composer Alfred Reed. Even though the piece of music is very Russian in it's melodies and harmonies, it is not a Russian piece technically. Reed was commissioned to write a so called "Russian" piece for a concert in Denver Colorado to improve American Soviet relations. Russian Christmas Music premiered on December 12, 1944, on nationally-broadcast NBC radio. It is performed today by brass bands, wind ensembles, orchestras, marching bands and drum and bugle corps.

Performed as though it is in one movement, Russian Christmas music has 4 different sections that include Carol of the Little Russian Children (based on a 16th century Russian Christmas carol), The Antiphonal Chant, The Village Song and The Cathedral Chorus.

Looking to buy Russian Christmas Music for your band or orchestra? Click on any of the links below!

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Russian Christmas Music By Alfred Reed (1921-2005). Concert Band. Concert Band. Classic Band. Christmas; Multicultural; Winter. Grade 5. Conductor Score. 44 pages. Published by Alfred Music Publishing (AP.FXB219C) (2) ...more info

Russian Christmas Music: Score By Alfred Reed (1921-2005). For Concert Band. Instructional. Score. 44 pages. Published by Alfred Music - Digital Sheet Music (AX.00-PR-0002349) ...more info

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Russian Christmas Music By Alfred Reed (1921-2005). Orchestra. Full Orchestra. Pop Concert Full Orchestra. Christmas; Multicultural; Winter. Grade 3.5. Conductor Score & Parts. 390 pages. Published by Alfred Music Publishing (AP.FXG106) ...more info

A Tribute to Alfred Reed By College of New Jersey Wind Ensemble. By Alfred Reed (1921-2005). For wind ensemble. Mark Masters. Classical. Audio CD. Duration 79:21. Published by Mark Custom Music (MK.3712-MCD) ...more info

Amahl And The Night Visitors

Amahl And The Night Visitors is a 20th century opera written by Italian-American composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti. It was commissioned by the American television network NBC and it premiered on December 24 (Christmas Eve) 1951 and it was the first made for television opera.

The opera takes place near Bethlehem just after the birth of Jesus Christ and it tells a story of a young boy by the name of Amahl. Amahl is a disabled boy who uses a crutch to walk and who also has a very vivid imagination. This imagination was made apparent through the tall tales and occasional lies that he would tell. One evening, after his mother call him in, he tells her of an amazing star that was "as big as a window" that he has seen when he was out playing his shepherd's pipe.  Later that night, his mother, distressed over his son's condition, prays that Amahl will not become a beggar and after going to bed, there is a knock on their door. Amahl's mother tells him to answer it and upon opening the door, he sees the Three Wise Men. The Three Wise Men tell them that they are on a long journey to give gifts to a wondrous child and they would like to rest at their house. Amahl's mother takes them in for the night and goes out to fetch more firewood. While she was out, Amahl decides to speak to the wise men and  King Balthazar answers the young boy's questions. The king then asked what Amahl does and Amahl answered that he was once a shepherd but his mother had to sell the sheep. Unfortunately, this led to both him and his mother to beg. Amahl starts a conversation with King Kaspar, who was hard of hearing, eccentric and childlike. Kaspar shows him a box of magic stones, beads, and licorice, and offers Amahl some of the candy. The mother returns and tells Amahl to go and invite the neighbors over so the kings could be properly entertained.

Once the neighbors went home and the kings went to bed, Amahl's mother decided to steal some of the kings treasures that were meant for Jesus. She gets caught by the kings' page and Amahl was wakened by the confrontation. In defense of his mother, Amahl attacks the page. Realizing the need for the gold and Amahl's condition, King Melchior decided to let the mother keep the gold knowing that Jesus himself would not need earthly power or wealth to build His kingdom. However, the mother decides to give back the gold anyway because she has waited all her life for such a king and she wished that she could give a gift herself. Amahl decided to give his crutch to the kings as a gift for Jesus and is miraculously healed. With the permission of his mother, Amahl goes on the journey with the Wise Men to see the newborn King.

See a presentation of Amahl And The Night Visitors on December 8, 2012 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm at The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Center of Coeur d'Alene in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The cast will include  Quincy McFaul as Amahl, Patty Mortier as the mother, Steve Mortier, Tim Campbell, John Frankhauser as the Three Kings, and the St. George's Chamber Choir. Members of the Coeur d'Alene Symphony comprise the live chamber orchestra.  Tickets are $20.00 for Adults, $15.00 for Seniors and $8.00 for Youth or Students with I.D. 

Looking for Sheet Music For Amahl And The Night Visitors? Click On The Selections Below.

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Amahl And The Night Visitors - Vocal Score (Vocal Score). By Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-). For Piano, Vocal (Score). Vocal Score. 20th Century, Broadway and Christmas. Difficulty: medium. Vocal score. Choral notation, piano reduction and introductory text. 65 pages. G. Schirmer #ED2039. Published by G. Schirmer (HL.50337790) ...more info

Amahl and the Night Visitors (Libretto). By Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-). For Vocal. Opera. 36 pages. G. Schirmer #ED2042. Published by G. Schirmer (HL.50340010) (1) ...more info

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Amahl and the Night Visitors (Chorus Parts). By Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-). For Chorus, Orchestra, Piano, Vocal (SATB). Opera. 16 pages. G. Schirmer #ED2047. Published by G. Schirmer (HL.50337800) (1) ...more info

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Procession Of The Nobles (aka. Cortège from the opera Mlada)

If you have a strong Horn section in your concert band, wind ensemble or orchestra, one of the best pieces in which to showcase them is called Procession Of The Nobles, aka. Cortège from the opera Mlada.

Written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Mlada was first produced in 1892 and it was rather unique in form in that it was half ballet and half opera along with a complex libretto. The opera takes place a thousand years ago in an imaginary kingdom called Retra on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Princess Mlada, who the opera was named after and a role that is danced rather than sung, was murdered by a rival called Voyslava. Voyslava was out to win the love of Mlada's lover Yaromir. The production takes the audience through several twists and turns that involve evil spirits, magic and even a trip to the underworld. The village is eventually submerged by an overflowing lake and Mlada and Yaromir ascend on a rainbow.

Mlada was unsuccessful as an opera; however, the Cortège, known as Procession Of The Nobles that served as the introduction to Act II of the opera, became a very successful stand alone piece. Performed by concert bands, wind ensembles, brass ensembles and orchestras alike, Procession Of The Nobles was also used between 1957 and 1969 as the opening theme for the UK TV program "What the Papers Say" and the theme for a PBS public affairs program called Inside Washington.

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Procession Of The Nobles (Opera Mlada) By Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). Arranged by Sip. Concert Band. Swiss import. Grade 4+. Score and parts. Published by Editions Marc Reift (MA.EMR-10108) (1) ...more info

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Procession of the Nobles By Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). Arranged by Craig Kaucher. For horn quartet. Quartet music. Published by Cimarron Music Press (BV.1437) ...more info

A Word About A Tear By Modest Mussorgsky

Being an innovator of Russian music, Modest Mussorksky was one of the famous composers of the Romantic Era known as "the five". This group had a purpose of  producing a specifically Russian kind of art music, rather than one that imitated older European music or relied on European-style conservatory training.  Known to be weak in orchestration, his works were often revised by other composers; one such famous piece is the epic "Pictures At An Exhibition". Originally a work for piano, this composition was orchestrated by French composer Maurice Ravel.

 Composed in 1880, A Tear is a late piano work of Mussorgsky's that is very simple, yet pretty. Described by some as "dull and uninteresting", perhaps the piece itself is a reflection of what was going on in Mussorgsky's life at that moment. Short in duration, it starts with a sad, yet beautiful melody that leads the listeners to a recollection of a somewhat happier time in the middle section. However, this section does not last long as it soon goes back to it heartbreaking conclusion. In 1880, Mussorgsky was suffering from alcoholism and it's consequences while he was living out the last year of his life. Because of his addiction, he suffered a very steep decline musically. The deaths of his closest associates plus the dismissal from government service only magnified his deep emotional pain.

 Arranged for Horn and Piano by Eric Hanson, A Tear is simple piece that is appropriate for an intermediate player. With the level of grade 3, it is gentle, short and free of any kind of technical challenges. However, it could be used as a tool to teach expression; such as telling a story through ones playing as well as phrasing. It is also easy in the range as well as a key change in the middle "happier times" section.

 As I have mentioned earlier, some may find the piece a little boring; however, I slightly disagree. Interpretation of the work itself can either make or break it, so expression is key to keep it from being boring. It is one of the pieces that tells a story whether Modest Mussorgsky meant for it to be or not.


You can Find A Tear, as well as other great Intermediate Horn Solos in this Book, Just click on the link below.

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Intermediate French Horn Solos, Vol. IV (Dale Clevenger) For french horn. Instrumental Solo Part and CD. Published by Music Minus One (MO.MMOCD3519) ...more info

Coming Home,Starting Over and Moving On.

I know it has been awhile since my last post. We have sold our house and moved to Spokane Valley, Washington (USA) in a section called Veradale. To me it is like coming home again because I grew up here. In fact, the high school I went to is just down the road. :)  Veradale still has that feeling of a small town; the feeling of home where you feel safe and it is relatively quiet even though the street nearby is quite busy.  Even though things have been built up in this area, I still have many fond memories and I feel that it is good for me to once again remind myself of who I am and where I came from. Those are two things that nothing or no one will ever take from me because they mean so much. I hope to return to this blog soon to post more once  we get settled. :)

Forever Scotland - Coeur d'Alene Press: Entertainment

Forever Scotland - Coeur d'Alene Press: Entertainment: The Coeur d'Alene Symphony will open its 2012/13 season with a Celtic flavored concert,

Andy Williams(December 3, 1927- September 25, 2012)

Andy Williams, an American singer who recorded 18 gold, three platinum albums and five Grammy nominations as well as having his own variety show from 1962-1971, died of bladder cancer September 25, 2012. He also owned a theater in Branson, Missouri that was named after his signature song, Moon River. In the 1960s, he had a middle American, Establishment appeal that was different from the counterculture movement at the time and was also known for his easy listening style. He remained on the charts thoughout the 1970s and had several television specials during the Holidays. He was also known for his famous Christmas time "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" and for singing the theme song for Oscar winning tear jerker, "Love Story. He was 84 years old.