If you can afford only one ?Up On The Housetop? for your brass quintet, this is the one to get. It is a hoot! It starts with an introduction that is definitely in a hurry; Santa?s sleigh may even have a klaxon on board to blast loitering birds out of the way! The arrangement moves on at the same fast clip, having fun with the melody and never letting up. As it reaches the halfway point, the tempo seems to slow down, but this is just an illusion; tuba and horn keep it moving. Racing toward the end, the conclusion recalls the introduction and finishes with a great, upbeat wind-up. Click on the ?Listen? button, and get set for an exciting Christmas ride with Santa.Tempo is halfnote = 138 throughout. There are some high notes and jumps. Trumpet 1?s highest note is B-flat5 (high C); Trumpet 2, A-flat5 (B-flat above the staff); Horn, F5 (high C). Trombone?s highest jump is from B-flat2 to E-sharp4. Horn has several 6-note jumps. This arrangement was completed in 2012, and performance time runs about 1 minute, 41 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, can be reached at lessmith@ufl.edu. For more arrangements by Les, enter "Sweetwater Brass Press" (without the quotation marks) in the SheetMusicPlus search box.

Here is a completely different take on this well-known Christmas carol. After an introduction that proudly establishes the ?O Holy Night? refrain, a 10-measure prelude sets the tone for the rest of the piece. Then comes the carol itself. But what a special version! Upbeat and celebratory, it uses the differing tonal colors of the brass quintet instruments to create pyramids of buoyant sound, winding up with a restatement of the introduction. This arrangement was completed in 2012, and performance time runs about 1 minutes, 32 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge; contact him directly at lessmith61@bellsouth.net. For more arrangements by Les, enter "Sweetwater Brass Press" (without the quotation marks) in the SheetMusicPlus search box.

The final movement of Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 ("Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life"), is one of Bach?s most well known and beloved compositions. The familiar English lyrics, usually attributed to Robert Bridges, has as the first line the wording that gives the piece its title, ?Jesu, Joy of Man?s Desiring,? and it is a favorite for weddings, Easter, All Saints? Day, Advent and Christmas. The beauty of this arrangement makes it appropriate for any of those occasions. The all-important eighth note figures are played by the tenor voices, Horn in F and Trombone, while trumpets are given the higher melody. This arrangement was completed in 2012, and performance time runs about 2 minute, 58 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, can be reached at lessmith@ufl.edu. For more arrangements by Les (such "Awake, My Heart, with Gladness"), enter "Sweetwater Brass Press" (without the quotation marks) in the SheetMusicPlus search box.