We’re excited to present 10 brand-new holiday selections—including a few collections—tailored to elementary students from our Editors’ Choice 2024 library. Every year, our editors strive to provide you with outstanding Christmas music that not only brings joy and festive spirit but also offers fresh, challenging pieces to engage your students during the holiday season.
Kris Kringle’s Kazoos
Mary Donnelly & George L.O. Strid – Alfred Music Publishing
Pass out the kazoos for this nifty novelty number that includes snippets of Deck the Hall; Up on the Housetop and Joy to the World. Kids will love singing the silly story and showing off their kazoo chops in this magical musical masterpiece. Add the accompaniment track and optional glockenspiel to make this piece even more festive!
Starts at 1:02
Scenes of Winter
Glenda E. Franklin – Shawnee Press
The traditional English carol God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen breathes new life with original secular lyrics in this gentle choral for winter. Vocal echoing and simple harmonies beautifully paint the text, creating a lovely selection that is unique yet familiar.
Starts at 1:50
Nice December Days
Teresa Jennings, Paul Jennings, John Riggio & Mike Wilson – Plank Road Publishing
Celebrate all things December with this festive collection! In a wide variety of styles and with lots of options for solos, part singing, movement, and even percussion, these unison/two-part originals are perfect for classroom use or holiday performances! Your students will love singing these eight December-themed songs, some of which are about Christmas and others that are about the holiday season in general. The book and CD option includes the teacher’s handbook with piano/vocal scores, reproducible student parts, and performance/accompaniment recordings. The PDF and MP3 bundle includes the same materials digitally. A must-have for the holiday season!
Starts at 2:39
Jingle, Jingle, Jingle
Johnny Marks/arr. Greg Gilpin – Shawnee Press
You can never go wrong with this holiday classic by Johnny Marks! Sleigh bells, optional kazoos, and accessible harmonies make this arrangement of the “Rudolph” classic not only attainable but fun. Perfect for elementary and middle school holiday concerts!
Starts at 3:45
Winter’s Stillness
Andrew Parr – Choristers Guild
A lovely original melody creates a scene of winter beauty before partnering with the beloved Austrian carol Still, Still, Still. With the option to sing in either English or the original German, it is a great way to welcome the winter season. An added descant soars over the final stanza creating a beautiful statement that works well in both the three- and two-part settings.
Starts at 4:41
I’ll Sing “Peace on Earth”
Andrew Bruhn – Heritage Music Press
Reinforcing a wish for peace on earth, this winter selection for treble choirs shines with a sentimentality and sweetness that only our youth can sing. With a supportive piano accompaniment and accessible harmonic writing, this tender original work encourages us to use our voices as tools to bring peace to a world in conflict. Consider programming this as your closing selection along with candles.
Starts at 5:28
Santa Songs
Andy Beck, Kirby Shaw, Lois Brownsey, Marti Lunn Lantz, Alan Billingsley, Jay Althouse & Chuck Bridwell – Alfred Music Publishing
Grab your Santa hats, tune up those festive singing voices, and let’s celebrate the man with the bag! This collection of nine holiday showstoppers is all about Santa Claus and is so much fun to sing! Perfect for young choristers and developing carolers, this delightful songbook is written for unison and two-part voices, with age-appropriate ranges and accessible part writing. Whether you’re performing in the classroom, a school assembly, a holiday concert, or spreading joy throughout your community, these songs can be performed individually, as a complete set, or even as a musical revue! Reproducible singer’s pages are included in the online PDF, and some numbers even include choreography, making this collection great fun AND a great value!
Starts at 6:25
Man, It’s Cold Outisde
Teresa Jennings – Plank Road Publishing
Set in a medieval rock style, this tongue-in-cheek piece gives your singers a chance to complain politely about winter’s chill. Perform the piece with all three parts or with the treble parts only; a cappella, with piano, with the optional percussion parts, or with the accompaniment track. Perfect for Christmas or winter concerts, this is sure to be a hit!
Starts at 7:40
Northern Lights
Andy Beck – Alfred Music Publishing
A musical tribute to the aurora borealis, this original work flickers and flashes with colorful imagery. Carefully crafted for beginning harmony singers, it opens with independent parts that come together in a glowing chorus like lights swirling in the winter sky. An optional descant at the end adds even more sparkle. Easily learned and effectively performed, it is a great choice for December or winter concerts.
Starts at 8:35
It Feels Like Christmas
Paul Williams/arr. Audrey Snyder – Hal Leonard Corporation
A charming song that’s become a classic, this lighthearted merry tune from “The Muppet Christmas Carol” is perfect for young choirs. Accessible voice parts in this choral adaptation provide ease of learning and confidence in singing. It will be a wonderful addition to your holiday concert!
