In the dark of the night, the clock strikes: it’s Witching Hour! This spooky, ghostly original piano solo sets the perfect tone for the spookiest holiday of the year. In the music you’ll hear the call from beyond the veil, the casting of magical spells to awaken the dead, the mysteriously eerie movements of supernatural beings, and progressively faster tempo changes until the end, when the dead fall back into their quiet slumber before first light. Set in the challenging key of G-sharp minor with frequent double sharps and transitions between minor and diminished passages, advancing pianists will love the spellbinding twists and turns. “Witching Hour” is an excellent choice for a Halloween performance piece.
This arrangement of Go Down Moses begins slowly and solemnly, then quickly ramps up into a fast boogie woogie swing that is an absolute blast to play. Experienced pianists will love the swinging rhythms, syncopation, exciting chord harmonies, and rapid blues scales in this performance showstopper.
Taran-Tango is a flashy showpiece piano solo for late intermediate to early advanced level. It smoothly blends together Tarantella and Tango rhythms into an exciting dance filled with polyrhythms. Played allegro con fuoco, this original composition is a fantastically energetic performance piece.
These two carols in 3/4 meter blend beautifully in this Christmas medley celebrating our lovely Christmas greenery. The opening block chord accompaniment with straight rhythms quickly gives way to a contemporary broken chord feel with open harmonies, which transitions seamlessly back and forth between the two melodies. The arrangement has a peaceful, calm feel with just enough surprising harmonic choices (including sevenths and ninths) to help it feel fresh, yet right at home. It is a good choice for a lovely and serene holiday performance piece.
“Joyful, all ye nations rise! Join the triumph of the skies!” This arrangement of Hark, the Herald Angels Sing is jubilant and bold, filled with brilliant chord harmonies and a broad, open accompaniment sound. Occasional scale passages and a key change add variety while careful pedal use adds substance and fullness. This arrangement is perfect for a Christmas religious service or holiday recital.
Here We Come A-Wassailing (sometimes called Here We Come A-Caroling) is arranged here as a delightful late intermediate to early advanced piano solo. The arpeggiated LH accompaniment feels like riding a sleigh over snowbanks. This arrangement features 6/8 meter throughout with steady moving LH, and the chorus is written in tuplets. The use of polyrhythms provides an added challenge while retaining the traditional feel of the carol.
The beautiful English folk melody “Greensleeves” was immortalized as a Christmas carol by William Chatterton Dix. This arrangement for late intermediate to early advanced piano features a somber sound supported by more minor chords than are commonly used with this melody. The arrangement begins simply and grows in complexity; at its climax, rolled chords and rich harmonies are supported by moving LH arpeggios that eventually transition back to the simpler style of the beginning. It is perfect for a holiday church service or Christmas performance.
Trick-or-Treating captures the playful spirit of Halloween. Staccato passages feel like mischievous children in costume tiptoeing from house to house (will they play a trick or get a treat?!), followed by dramatic unisons, octaves, and full four-note chords that absolutely scream, “THIS IS HALLOWEEN!” This late intermediate to early advanced Halloween piano solo is perfect for a Halloween recital piece or and will get everyone in the mood for something delightfully spooky!
This beloved holiday carol “Carol of the Bells” is arranged here as a late intermediate to early advanced piano solo. The main 4-note motif is supported by a continually moving accompaniment that begins softly in 4/4 meter and transitions to 3/4 with increasing energy. You can hear the ringing bell tones throughout with changing octaves, crossovers, increasingly broader harmonies, chord modulations, and urgent rhythms that ultimately swell to a climax before returning to 4/4 meter once again for a softer, calming finish. Without question, the Ukrainian Bell Carol is a sure favorite for holiday performances and recitals.
This joyful Christmas carol is arranged here as a late intermediate to early advanced piano solo. It begins with a recurring theme of treble chords tinkling like ringing bells while the melismatic “Gloria” passage sings beneath. The traditional energetic verse and refrain are repeated several times and carried through melodic variations, unique chord progressions, and modulations before coming to a jubilant conclusion. This arrangement is perfect as a showy, yet time-sensitive Christmas performance piece. (Performance length: less than 3 minutes.)
