John McAllister
Composer, Educator
  • Start Here
    • Search Site
    • Blog
  • Music
    • Concert Band - Marches
    • Concert Band - B
    • Concert Band - VE
    • Concert Band - E
    • Concert Band - ME
    • Concert Band - M
    • Adaptable Duets
    • Adaptable Trios >
      • Adaptable Trios SAB
      • Adaptable Trios Mix Match
    • Adaptable Quartets
    • Adaptable Quintets >
      • Adaptable Quintets - Classical
      • Adaptable Quintets - Pops
      • Adaptable Quintets - Folk & Traditional
      • Adaptable Quintets - Patriotic
      • Adaptable Quintets - Originals
    • Etudes and Exercises
    • Marching Band >
      • Marching Band - Stands Tunes
      • Marching Band - Community
    • Video Games
    • Jazz
    • Christmas/Holiday
    • Strings
  • Instruments
    • Flute >
      • Flute Warm-Ups
      • Flute Scales & Technique
      • Flute Duets
      • Flute Trios
      • Flute Choir
      • Flute Choir Christmas
    • Oboe >
      • Oboe Warm-Ups
      • Oboe Scales & Technique
      • Oboe Duets
      • Oboe Trios
    • Bassoon >
      • Bassoon Warm-Ups
      • Bassoon Scales & Technique
      • Bassoon Duets
      • Bassoon Trios
    • Clarinet >
      • Clarinet Warm-Ups
      • Clarinet Scales & Technique
      • Clarinet Duets
      • Clarinet Trios
    • Saxophone >
      • Saxophone Warm-Ups
      • Saxophone Scales & Technique
      • Saxophone Duets
      • Saxophone Trios
    • Trumpet >
      • Trumpet Warm-Ups
      • Trumpet Scales & Technique
      • Trumpet Music
      • Brass Trios
    • Horn >
      • Horn Warm Ups
      • Horn Scales & Technique
      • Horn Duets
      • Horn Trios
      • Brass Trios
    • Trombone >
      • Trombone Warm Ups
      • Trombone Scales & Technique
      • Trombone Duets
      • Trombone Trios
      • Trombone Ensembles
      • Brass Trios
    • Euphonium >
      • Euphonium Warm-Ups
      • Euphonium Scales & Technique
      • Euphonium Duets
      • Euphonium Trios
    • Tuba >
      • Tuba Warm-Ups
      • Tuba Scales & Technique
      • Tuba Music
    • Percussion
  • Free Resources
    • Let's Read Music
    • Ensemble Theory
    • Warm-ups >
      • First Fundamentals
      • Foundation Warm-Ups
      • Young Ensemble
      • Symphonic Warm-Ups
      • Comprehensive Warm-Ups
      • Advanced Warm-Ups
      • Build A Warm-Up
      • Chorales
      • Seasonal
    • Warm-Ups Symphony
    • Fundamentals
    • Scales and Technique
    • Rhythm
    • Arrangements
    • Sight-Reading
    • Breathing
    • Jazz Center
    • Games
    • Strings!
    • Recruitment Materials
    • Posters
    • Free Christmas
  • Cinematic Series
    • Complete Warm-Ups Sets
    • Long Tones
    • Flexibility
    • Articulation
    • Scales
    • Page of Patterns
    • Counting
    • Play Alongs
    • Arbans
    • Pop Rhythms
    • Classical Improv
    • LoFi
    • Music Humor
  • Contact

Holiday Season Music

(Tunes arranged in order of difficulty - from easy to difficult)
​**so scroll down to see intermediate+ level music**

Jingle Bells - beginning band

This is a simple, straight-forward arrangement of Jingle Bells for beginning band. I wrote this to align with first year player's abilities around the time of the first Winter/Holiday Concert. The abilities needed won't stretch young players, AND it is a full-length beginner piece. The low brass/reeds also gets a chance at the MELODY! Check it out... a great festive tune for the youngest of players 🔔🎊
pepper $40
smp $30

Jolly Old St. Nicholas - beginning band

Jolly Old St. Nicholas is so catchy, probably because it's strikingly similar to Pachelbel's Canon. This version is arranged to be played by beginning/young band musicians (so not quite Pachelbel style). The music is tutti throughout, but the low voices get the melody for part of the second time through. The harmonies are SAB throughout to allow for a great sound with varying instrumentation. To facilitate the beginners, the notes required are Concert Bb to Concert Ab, aligning with the progression of most beginning band books. This piece would be a fun addition to a first holiday concert!
pepper $40
smp $30

Up on the Housetop - beginning band

Up on the Housetop is great because it is so flexible in arranging for different levels (i.e. scroll to the bottom to see an advanced version). The melody is fun and accessible and it's able to be accomplished with minimal notes...not even a full octave! This would be a great addition to a holiday concert or just playing in class/sight-reading. Enjoy!
pepper $40
smp $30

A Christmas Fantasy - Easy

A Christmas Fantasy is a fantasia on several Christmas tunes for young concert band. The piece features the famed Bell Carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, O Come O Come Emmanuel, and even quotes some others like Jingle Bells and What Child is This. This piece was premiered in 2012 as an exciting holiday concert closer for a combined 7th and 8th grade band in a gym that was boomy and really loud (but also epic).
perusal score
BUY On JWPEPPER - $40
Buy on SMP Press - $30

Holiday Mash-Up - (easy)

This is a mash-up of a plethora of tunes from the Holiday Season! And they're all mashed-up together. Seamlessly transitioning from one to another... playing ON TOP of each other... AND Jingle Bells and Good King Wenceslas literally get in a fight. Who wins? Who knows.. you'll have to play the piece to find out. Full (I think) tunes list includes: Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels, Ding Dong Merrily On High, O Come All Ye Faithful, Good King Wenceslas, Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, Up on the Housetop, First Noel, Silent Night, O Christmas Tree, Jolly Old Saint Nick, We Wish You A Merry Christmas, Angels We Have Heard On High. When I first performed this (back in 2012?? Where has time gone??), I included a "fill in the blank" portion of the program for attendees to try and guess all the tunes as we played it... lots of fun! 
perusal score
buy on smp - $30

From Wintry Darkness-Light! (medium/medium-easy)

"From Wintry Darkness-Light!" is a piece for concert band. It takes several of the minor key Christmas tunes (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, O Come O Come Emmanuel, Ukrainian Bell Carol) and mashes them all together. Most of the piece revolves around these minor keys, building intensity until it releases (the light part!) at the end. The piece would probably fall into the "medium" category, possibly medium-easy. Just take a look through the score to see if it's the right fit. I definitely wrote this to be a flashy and exciting piece. I love my film scores, so it definitely has a cinematic component.
BUy on SMP Press - $40
buy on JWpepper 40$

Up on the Housetop - Medium(ish)

This is an arrangement of the popular holiday tune, Up on the Housetop. Throughout the piece, idiomatic devices are used to give the classic holiday sound, including woodwind trills, bright metallic percussion parts, and harmonies that highlight the joyousness of the season. This piece also serves as an optional sing-along. There are three variations of the tune and each can be repeated as desired. Just print up some lyrics and let the audience sing!
pepper $40
smp $35

Epic Bell Carol

For now, all I have is this play-along video. I have an arrangement for full band similar to this, but it needs way more editing than I have time to do at the moment. If you're wanting it for a peformance this year, send me a note and I'll see what I can do. If not, I'll have a published arrangement out for 2021. Hopefully, this play along can offer some good entertain for musicians!
pdf of play along

Tunes not published yet, read description if interested. (advanced)

These are three tunes I did for a "Lessons and Carols" sing-along portion of the concert. They are NOT yet published, but if you are interested in purchasing them for this season, please contact me directly. I had a blast writing these and they're definitely more advanced than anything else here. 

They will work individually or as a sing along. 

Follow on Youtube, Instagram, or Facebook

Picture
Picture
Picture
can't find it? search here.
the music
Free Resources
​Instruments
Compositions
Instruments
Cinematic Series
Picture
Tip Jar? Click below. More coffee. More free stuff.
the composer
About
Contact
The Blog
JWPepper Composer Page
  • Start Here
    • Search Site
    • Blog
  • Music
    • Concert Band - Marches
    • Concert Band - B
    • Concert Band - VE
    • Concert Band - E
    • Concert Band - ME
    • Concert Band - M
    • Adaptable Duets
    • Adaptable Trios >
      • Adaptable Trios SAB
      • Adaptable Trios Mix Match
    • Adaptable Quartets
    • Adaptable Quintets >
      • Adaptable Quintets - Classical
      • Adaptable Quintets - Pops
      • Adaptable Quintets - Folk & Traditional
      • Adaptable Quintets - Patriotic
      • Adaptable Quintets - Originals
    • Etudes and Exercises
    • Marching Band >
      • Marching Band - Stands Tunes
      • Marching Band - Community
    • Video Games
    • Jazz
    • Christmas/Holiday
    • Strings
  • Instruments
    • Flute >
      • Flute Warm-Ups
      • Flute Scales & Technique
      • Flute Duets
      • Flute Trios
      • Flute Choir
      • Flute Choir Christmas
    • Oboe >
      • Oboe Warm-Ups
      • Oboe Scales & Technique
      • Oboe Duets
      • Oboe Trios
    • Bassoon >
      • Bassoon Warm-Ups
      • Bassoon Scales & Technique
      • Bassoon Duets
      • Bassoon Trios
    • Clarinet >
      • Clarinet Warm-Ups
      • Clarinet Scales & Technique
      • Clarinet Duets
      • Clarinet Trios
    • Saxophone >
      • Saxophone Warm-Ups
      • Saxophone Scales & Technique
      • Saxophone Duets
      • Saxophone Trios
    • Trumpet >
      • Trumpet Warm-Ups
      • Trumpet Scales & Technique
      • Trumpet Music
      • Brass Trios
    • Horn >
      • Horn Warm Ups
      • Horn Scales & Technique
      • Horn Duets
      • Horn Trios
      • Brass Trios
    • Trombone >
      • Trombone Warm Ups
      • Trombone Scales & Technique
      • Trombone Duets
      • Trombone Trios
      • Trombone Ensembles
      • Brass Trios
    • Euphonium >
      • Euphonium Warm-Ups
      • Euphonium Scales & Technique
      • Euphonium Duets
      • Euphonium Trios
    • Tuba >
      • Tuba Warm-Ups
      • Tuba Scales & Technique
      • Tuba Music
    • Percussion
  • Free Resources
    • Let's Read Music
    • Ensemble Theory
    • Warm-ups >
      • First Fundamentals
      • Foundation Warm-Ups
      • Young Ensemble
      • Symphonic Warm-Ups
      • Comprehensive Warm-Ups
      • Advanced Warm-Ups
      • Build A Warm-Up
      • Chorales
      • Seasonal
    • Warm-Ups Symphony
    • Fundamentals
    • Scales and Technique
    • Rhythm
    • Arrangements
    • Sight-Reading
    • Breathing
    • Jazz Center
    • Games
    • Strings!
    • Recruitment Materials
    • Posters
    • Free Christmas
  • Cinematic Series
    • Complete Warm-Ups Sets
    • Long Tones
    • Flexibility
    • Articulation
    • Scales
    • Page of Patterns
    • Counting
    • Play Alongs
    • Arbans
    • Pop Rhythms
    • Classical Improv
    • LoFi
    • Music Humor
  • Contact