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Hi!

Could anyone give me some information on Arthur Frackenpohl's "Studies on Christmas Carols"? I have played through one of the etudes from the book a while back, but cannot remember very much about the nature of the pieces. I am trying to figure out a piece to play at the Christmas program at my girlfriend's church -- do these pieces merit any performance value? Would any of the Studies be an acceptable choice for a very small, very casual presentation for an audience? Also, how difficult are they, and is there an estimated running time for them that anyone could offer?

Also, if anyone could recommend any Christmas pieces for tuba (either w/ or w/o piano accompaniment) that are of considerable quality, your help would be greatly appreciated! I have been having a little bit of trouble finding possible selections.


Thanks a lot!

Don't know this book, but as far as something to play at a church Christmas recital/concert.....

a nice version of "We Three Kings", doing the melody/verse as a tuba solo, bring in a small group of singers or other instrumentalists for the chorus? Something that might be easy to work up with limited rehearsal time.....

Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Greensleeves has been transcribed for piano and solo instrument. I have it for alto recorder which, if you can read treble clef and play sweetly up to a concert middle C (or do some octave switching), would work as is. It is an attractive piece and not difficult. I suspect it has been transcribed for other solo instruments.

grahamroese wrote:Hi!
Also, if anyone could recommend any Christmas pieces for tuba (either w/ or w/o piano accompaniment) that are of considerable quality, your help would be greatly appreciated! I have been having a little bit of trouble finding possible selections.
Thanks a lot!

Of "Very Low Quality" - something I did for a non-tuba list...

David Richoux wrote:

grahamroese wrote:Hi!
Also, if anyone could recommend any Christmas pieces for tuba (either w/ or w/o piano accompaniment) that are of considerable quality, your help would be greatly appreciated! I have been having a little bit of trouble finding possible selections.
Thanks a lot!

Of "Very Low Quality" - something I did for a non-tuba list...

OUT FRICK'N STANDING

For the kind of performance you are describing, I would think the Frackenpohl pieces would be apporpriate. They are not very long, a page each, so you could do 2 perhaps, maybe a sacred one and a secular one, if this is a social fellowship type of affair and not an actual church service.

There is also a nice duet set for tuba and baritone if you can find a partner to play euph or bone, "Christmas for Two" by Lloyd Conley, also published by Kendor Music. The Conley duets are written for many combinations of instruments so you have to specify the tuba/baritone version.

ken k

I have performed a number of these studies at various Christmas Eve Services for the past few years with great success. However, I believe a reason they were so successful is that on the "jazzier" ones I had the music director (singer Sandi Patti's arranger/pianist) improvise on piano with me. Everyone was very receptive of the interpretation, and even though I played well I felt he made me sound that much better.

TMB