The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) for Advanced Piano Solo

This Christmas classic has music and lyrics by Mel Torme and Robert Wells. I have always loved this piece--it brings the spirit of all the good things that the season can bring! There is a reason why there are so many arrangements of this piece--it has a beautiful melody and invites oodles of creativeness when it comes to the harmony and arranging.

This arrangement is a challenging jazz piece that is played freely, with rubato. Challenges include jazzy runs, two against three rhythms, accelerandos and ritardandos, and should be played with great feeling and expression.
Feel free to pause where you want to spend a little more time, or where you want your audience to enjoy some different harmonies. Take your time learning the fast runs--there are patterns to discover! Work out a fingering that works for you.

YouTube video is available at: https://youtu.be/XE3Tbdzh2eU

You can see this piece (and others) on my YouTube Channel, "the-piano-studio.com", or visit me at www.the-piano-studio.com

Enjoy!

Here are three refreshing new modernarrangements of three popular traditional carols ?like you ain?t never heardthem before?. Intended for the intermediate flute player (or players) and areasonably competent pianist, they are sure to brighten up your Christmasevents whether at home, school, church or recital hall. You can of course use the music with any number of flute players. The pieces could be usedduring a Christmas service or as stand-alone pieces at an end-of-termpresentation. The audio sample includes recordings of all three pieces.

The King Rides Out(based on ?Good King Wenceslas?) starts conventionally enough but turns into acountry-style song and then there?s a three-part Bach-like contrapuntal section,concluding with a wistful coda before the music returns to the joyful countrystyle. Waltz with Holly ? or Possibly Ivy (based of course on ?The Hollyand the Ivy?) turns into a dreamy waltz with long extended phrases and a goodvehicle to show the flute player?s tone quality. The Merry Gentleman goLatin is a lively rumba version of ?God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen?.

ColinKirkpatrick studied composition, cello and piano at London?s prestigious RoyalCollege of Music and after graduation followed a career in music education. Hewas a High School Music Director in London for about fifteen years and laterbecame a Music Education Adviser for local government, with the addedresponsibility for training teachers and directing the instrumental teaching service.

Hehas been published by Boosey & Hawkes, Novello, Paxton, Schott, OxfordUniversity Press, Chester, Belwin Mills and Intrada (Netherlands). He holds MAand PhD degrees in education and his other interests include reading,photography, travel, cooking and wine tasting - though not necessarily all atthe same time.