Your Favorite Christmas Hymns and Carols for Strings, Book 2

Arranged by Colin Kirkpatrick

This is the second volume of the collection of best-loved Christmas hymns and carols arranged for strings, to brighten up your next Christmas event. This publication includes full four-part instrumental scores plus parts for first violin, second violin, viola, cello and optional double bass. Both cello and bass parts appear on a single staff. The arrangements can be used with string quartet, string quintet or string ensemble. There?s also an optional but useful simplified keyboard part intended for less experienced keyboard players. The left hand plays only the bass part most of the time, with the right hand part kept as simple as possible. It could be used as the basis of an accompaniment which means that you can use the arrangements as solos, duets or trios. You can create a brighter string tone by asking the more advanced first and second violin players to play an octave higher when necessary. You can hear this effect in the audio samples.

The arrangements are intended either as stand-alone pieces that could be used as interludes in a concert or service, or they could be used to accompany solo, choral or congregational singing. The arrangements been written in string-friendly keys as often as possible. While the hymns mostly use the traditional harmonies, the carols have been treated more freely.

Book 2 contains the following 21 titles: As with Gladness Men of Old (Melody: Dix); Away in a Manger (Melody: Cradle Song); Ding! Dong! Merrily on High (Melody: Bransle de l'Officiel); God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen; A Great and Mighty Wonder (Melody: Es ist ein Ros); Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Melody: Mendelssohn); Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (Melody: W. Zlobie Lezy); It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (Melody: Noel); Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine (Melody: Resonet in Laudibus); Joy to the World (Melody: Antioch); O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Melody: Veni Emmanuel); O Little Town of Bethlehem (Melody: Forest Green) ; Once in Royal David's City (Melody: Irby); Quem Pastores Laudavere; Lully, lulla Thou Little Tiny Child (Melody: Coventry Carol); Hark! A Thrilling Voice is Calling (Melody: Merton); The First Nowell; The Wassail Song; We Three Kings (Melody: Kings of Orient), While Shepherds Watched their Flocks (Melody: Winchester Old) and While Shepherds Watched their Flocks (Melody: Christmas).

The audio samples include Ding! Dong! Merrily on High, Infant Holy, Infant Lowly, Lully, lulla Thou Little Tiny Child and The First Nowell. Please note that the arrangements are usually not usually compatible with the brass collection of the same name.

The Balcony Scene from Romeo and Juliet by Craig Armstrong arranged for string quartet. This is the music from the soundtrack to the 1996 Baz Luhrmann film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as the star-crossed lovers. Interestingly, Shakespeare doesn't ever mention a balcony in his play, and yet the so-called balcony scene has become one of its most famous moments.