This lively arrangement blends Brahms's Variations on a Theme by Haydn with Jolly Old St. Nicholas, creating a new holiday favorite. While capturing the essence of Brahms's symphonic orchestration the piece helps advancing students explore bow technique and dynamics in a robust romantic style. Optional percussion enhances the holiday spirit, and an optional beginning part allows you to include even your youngest of players!

Program Notes:  

An array of enduring composers join forces to celebrate with holiday cheer. Joseph Haydn's St. Anthony's Chorale from his Divertimento in F was famously adapted by Johannes Brahms into the Variations on a Theme by Haydn. Some consider the chorale incorrectly attributed to Haydn and insist it was truly written by Haydn's student Ignaz Pleyel. Our third (or fourth) acclaimed composer is James R. Murray, who is attributed as the composer of Jolly Old St. Nicholas, written about the same time Brahms wrote Variations on a Theme by Haydn. There is some contention regarding authorship, and John Piersol McCaskey's great-great grandson claims his ancestor composed Jolly Old St. Nick ten years before Murray. This lively arrangement blends Brahms's Variations on a Theme by Haydn with Jolly Old St. Nicholas, creating a new holiday favorite. With our arranger, Caryn Wiegand Neidhold, we now have holiday wishes from Haydn, Pleyel, Brahms, McCaskey, Murray, and Neidhold!