Just had to share an audio sampler of my soon-to-publish “What Child is This?” …violin solo.

What Child is This?

I plan to publish two new Christmas arrangements by this weekend:

O Come All Ye Faithful (early advanced piano solo) and What Child is This? (violin solo w/ piano accompaniment

One of my daughter-in-laws needed a violin solo for Christmas….so…to save time…I adapted an earlier piano solo version of What Child is This into a piano and violin special. I REALLY enjoyed creating this one!

Many church pianists have already been practicing for their church’s Christmas program.

In many cases, the church pianist IS the choir leader and has the task of deciding what to do for a Christmas program.

My son is our choir director. He works at least 50 hours a week and the father of three small children. Needless to say,  I help out by coming up with a simple program to fit our 40 minutes per week choir practice time. (this accounts for starting roughly two months in advance; which may vary from church to church depending on your choir’s ability)

My son and I have about a 40 minute commute to church so we’re very time conscious!

Our most-involved Christmas program back in 2011 was entitled “Christmas at Home” by Ron Hamilton. We used the “readers theatre” version due to limited time. The main actors were acting their first play ever. (Part Two sampler of our Christmas at Home)

In recent years, we have experienced a much more pleasant, relaxing time through having easier Christmas programs.

I have written two VERY easy Christmas programs…one of which is FREE HERE.  I’m still editing the second FREE Christmas program.

Now…ideas for enhancing your Christmas Program…

• Lyrics taken from cantata books make for great narration when coordinating a chronological list of songs together for a short choir concert. (That’s what we’re doing this year)

• Include congregation by having them sing a song in the program. ( the choir could sing a descant taken from a hymnal while the congregation sings the melody) Another neat idea…have Pastor lead congregation in  reciting Luke 2:14 at the appropriate time during the program. Very effective! (Tip: Include Luke 2:14 in the Christmas program bulletin)

• The congregation could also stand and sing a song following their verse (Luke 2:14) Song suggestions: Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World (include lyrics in the program bulletin)

Easy Christmas Program Suggestion:

1. Several different adults recite the Christmas story(Luke 2:1-19) in microphone off stage while children in appropriate costume act out the narration.

2. Stage setup:  Only two scenes: Manger scene center stage, shepherd scene on left or right of manger scene. (props for shepherd scene not necessary).

3. Songs can be inserted appropriately throughout the narration.

4. Extra tip:Remind children that they must listen to what’s being read so they can act accordingly…to avoid appearing mechanical

Also a good idea to remind narrators to read with conviction! It brings the story to life!!

Hopefully this will help church pianists or choir leaders trying to find last-minute ideas for an easy Christmas program.

Please feel free to leave comments or ideas below.

A reminder: I do have over a dozen FREE piano and vocal Christmas arrangements available HERE.

Sharing a few links that may give you an idea as well (don’t fully endorse all the ideas at these links… but you can sift out what you like)

Possible lyrics for poems

Creative Church Idea Attic

I absolutely LOVE the words to this Christmas carol, Who is He in Yonder Stall?  The last verse into the chorus is my favorite part as seen below.

A big thanks to Mary Lynn Van Gelderen, one of my special piano friends, who helped me with the editing process. Mary Lynn said the arrangement  fit her hands perfectly 🙂

I visualized the lyrics of the first and  last verse when creating this arrangement.

Verse One:

Who is He in yonder stall
At Whose feet the shepherds fall?
Who is He in deep distress,
Fasting in the wilderness?

Last verse:

Who is He that from the grave
Comes to heal and help and save?
Who is He that from His throne
Rules through all the world alone?

Refrain:

’Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!
’Tis the Lord! the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all!

Words & Music by Benjamin Handby (1833-1867)

Who is He in Yonder Stall

Moderately advanced Christmas piano solo, 3&1/2 pgs. Approx. 2:22 length Nice arrangement for offertory or other special event. The key change in the middle of the second verse soars into a joyful ending!

Price: $3.95

I posted a new early intermediate level piano Christmas arrangement this week in our online music store for “Silent Night”.

This particular arrangement was written for the piano student in mind so there’s more structure to it.

Click here to view sample page for “Silent Night”

Just had a few spare moments to post two more piano Christmas books for sale HERE…for those who may need that last minute offertory to prepare for 🙂

This has to be one of my favorite Christmas songs now!  My dad wrote this song several years ago and now it’s available in print!

You’ll love the haunting melody along with the emphasis on salvation that Christ brought to the world.

Hallelujah Christ is Born

Low to medium range sacred Christmas vocal solo; 4 pgs *Price covers two copies. The haunting melody of this selection takes our Lord from the manger to the cross.

Price: $6.50

I’ve been sick  for the past three weeks and feeling much better now!

Unfortunately I was unable to finish “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” piano solo but will be publishing a brand new Christmas vocal solo arrangement by my dad, Reece Yandle, sometime this week. The song is entitled “Hallelujah, Christ is Born!” and is just beautiful!  The verses begin in a minor key and the chorus changes to major…I will say this has become my favorite Christmas song written by my Dad. Yes, he has written others but just haven’t published them yet 🙂

Here’s an audio sample of Dad’s song with printed words below to follow along as you hear the tune…

Hallelujah Christ is Born

Verse one:

Prophet bards foretold His birth,

How the Babe would come to earth;

How salvation He would bring,

Jesus Christ the newborn King!

Chorus:

Hallelujah, Christ is born,

Hallelujah Christmas morn…

I have also posted some Christmas piano arrangement books for sale on our “Used Music” page.  These books come from a growing stack of books I purchased this past year and just don’t need them all. I plan to post more for sale as time allows.

Just wanted to alert readers of my Christmas CD “Simply Christmas”…on sale now through November 6th!

Simply Christmas

A Christmas piano recording capturing the spirit of Christmas by Jenifer Cook PHYSICAL COPY-----NOT DOWNLOADABLE *Orders within the US only please.

Price: 10.00 per CD (free shipping up to 4 Cds per order)

Quantity:  

Click here for audio samples!