Music: Carolers’ Favorites

The Salvation Army Eastern Territory USA has released a new edition of its Carolers’ Favorites. Originally published in 1953, enlarged in 1962 and updated in 1994, the 2006 edition of Carolers’ Favorites has been revised and enlarged, continuing the musical support for seasonal worship, celebration and fund-raising opportunities for bands, ensembles and choirs.

This new edition of Carolers’ Favorites includes 125 Christmas carols and festive songs, with both vocal and instrumental parts in various keys and clefs, making the edition extremely versatile. With five core instrumental parts, the musical arrangements are flexible for performance by ensembles of all sizes and instrumentation.

In much the same way as its British equivalent - New Christmas Praise - each part is presented in a wire-bound book with a glossy card cover, easy to secure using a lyre. In the front of each part book, helpful suggestions on how to use Carolers’ Favorites for trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, brass band, concert band and full orchestra are made. In addition, a piano book is also available, creating the opportunity for intimate performances with a single soloist or full choir. A percussion book also allows for enhanced colour within larger ensemble performances.

Carolers’ Favorites has been part of the Christmas celebration in the USA since the original publication, arranged by Erik Leidzen, appeared in the 1950s. The traditional songs, both sacred and secular, are meant to bring joy to singers, instrumentalists and listeners alike. However, new features in this edition include Thanksgiving songs, and special arrangements for advanced players.

Such arrangements include J. S. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, G. F. Handel’s For Unto Us a Child is Born from Messiah and a variety of popular numbers from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, including the March, Dance of the Mirlitons, Trepak and Waltz of the Flowers.

Executive Producer Ronald Waiksnoris, Producer Aaron VanderWeele, music editors Dorothy Gates and James Curnow, and especially skilled arrangers, Erik Leidzen, Dorothy Gates and Stephen Bulla, are to be congratulated on a superb new edition of this iconic publication.

DAVID CHILDS

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