SKU: A0.1031437

2018 Holiday Contest Entry

Silent Night

 Silent Night, probably the best known Christmas melody, was composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.

It was the arranger’s objective in writing this four verse set to bring the most beautiful harmonies and variations possible to give something new and unusual to this tune. It works equally well as a performance piece or as a piece where people can sing along. The arrangement keeps interest with a variety of tonalities and occasional dissonants which resolve into lovely harmonies.

The first verse starts with a lovely duet between the first and second flutes joined by the Alto and Bass flutes with chordal support. The second verse has the first and second flutes conversing in a call and response. The lower instruments support with moving harmonies. In the third verse, the first flute plays a lovely descant over the traditional Silent Night melody and in the fourth verse you hear a delicate obbligato played by the piccolo while the lower flutes play the melody.

 While the actual parts are two C flutes and piccolo), Alto and Bass, the arranger has included transposed parts - Alto to C flute, 2nd flute in lower register – to expand to Flute Choir. It is suggested the Alto flute and Bass flute parts be doubled to create maximum depth in the performance of this piece.

SKU: A0.1415663

The rapturous dance hit from the wildly successful, Oscar nominated BARBIE is here brilliantly orchestrated and arranged by Pullitzer Prize nominated composer/arranger, Ralph Raymond Hays. Taking full advantage of the tonal pallete of the flute quartet (SSSS or SSSA), this arrangement distinguishes itself both in derence to the original and in keeping idiomatic to the ensemble. Including an optional drum set part, this arrangement is assured to delight audiences and performers alike.