Music Reviews for banddirector.com
by Vince Corozine

TITLE: YANKEE DOODLE CHRISTMAS
COMPOSER: Arranged by Mark Williams
PUBLISHER: Alfred Music
LENGTH: 2:05
GRADE LEVEL: 1 ½ (EASY)


This playful arrangement for easy concert band is a light-hearted piece, that combines snippets of “Yankee Doodle,” “Joy to the World,” “Up on the Housetop,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”

Due to the title, “Yankee Doodle Christmas” I fully expected the piece to contain variations on the song, “Yankee Doodle.” Instead we have an amusing piece that interpolates five public domain Christmas songs.

The technical demands are quite modest and fit the “Easy” grade level. The instrument ranges are very comfortable and the song is in E-flat major throughout. I felt that a modulation to F major would have helped to sustain interest and to give the piece an added emotional lift. The lower clarinet part is below the break, the flutes ascend to C above the staff, trumpets to a written D in the staff, and the F. horns are asked to play a written D in the staff during the two-measure introduction, while they play in a more comfortable range for the rest of the piece.

Dynamics range from mp to ff with a noticeable absence of expression marks (crescendo and diminuendo) except in the introduction where the band is asked to crescendo from an f to an ff.

Musical fragments are deftly tossed between sections of the band and the bass part is particularly appealing beginning at measure 29 to measure 37. This is where the arranger combines the songs, “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” with “Yankee Doodle.” The opportunity to play one of the five melodies is given to all sections at one time or another. The melodies often change hands every few measures making it essential for the students to listen to and adjust their dynamics in order to keep the melody on top of the texture.

Perhaps a sudden molto accelerando in the last two measures might provide an exciting way to end the composition.

A piano accompaniment is included as a help to fill in areas where instruments are weak sounding, particularly in the low brass and woodwinds.

For added sonority, the alto saxophones double the F. horns. The percussion parts are busy enough to keep the percussionists occupied and are fun to play...

I would suggest that the addition of breath marks in the instrument parts would help the young players sense where to breathe and to shape the phrases.

There is enough independence of parts to challenge a band just getting past the beginning stage.

Purchase at Alfred Publishing: YANKEE DOODLE CHRISTMAS