Celebrate the Christ Overture

Back in 2009, First Baptist Church, Jackson, Mississippi commissioned this song in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their annual Christmas musical, Carols by Candlelight. They wanted to have some special flare to it, so they requested that the arrangement include herald trumpets.

I chose to use “O Come All Ye Faithful”, “How Great Our Joy”, and “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” because they are some of my favorite carols. The arrangement starts out with a bold orchestral fanfare interjected with statements by the herald trumpets. It segues into a statement of “O Come All Ye Faithful” followed by the often called ‘echo carol’, “How Great Our Joy”, which utilizes the loud and soft statements of the title line.

Then the arrangement goes to an original composition that I wrote that starts softer and crescendos to a climactic statement of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” – again, using herald trumpets.

After this arrangement premiered, I thought it would be a good idea to adapt it so that herald trumpets weren’t required. Anyone choosing to use this can use it with or without herald trumpets.

This entire arrangement is a jubilant expression of the joy of Christmas and one that I am very proud of!