Christmas creep is a real thing. Santa Claus decorations and Christmas ornaments find their way onto store shelves earlier and earlier each year, while holiday tunes fill the air before we even turn the calendar to November. But Christmas creep can be a good thing—even a necessity—in a harpist’s life. December is often our busiest gig month of the year, and the music we are asked to play falls outside of our regular gig book. If we aren’t careful, that first holiday gig can take us by surprise and send us scrambling to find enough Christmas tunes to fill a two-hour party gig.

There’s one Christmas staple every harpist should start learning early. Find out why John Rutter’s Dancing Day is a tune to keep you on your toes in this article extra

So let Christmas creep earlier into your calendar this year. Learning some new Christmas tunes and revisiting those always-slightly-unfamiliar holiday arrangements now will help you enjoy the yuletide season this year. We asked some professional harpists what music they recommend learning now so that you are ready to spread Christmas cheer come December. (Check out the complete list.)

“I like to use Christmas to encourage students to learn their chords and start making their own arrangements,” says freelance harpist Kimberly H. Taylor who teaches at Willamette University in Salem, Ore. “A good Christmas fake book is a very useful thing to have on hand and to know how to use. I recommend The Ultimate Christmas Fake Book: for Piano, Vocal, Guitar, Electronic Keyboard and all C instruments. I have worn mine out.”  Taylor also likes several published arrangements for her students, including The Harpist’s Book of Christmas Music by Betty Paret. “The arrangements are nice, and there is a fun original suite called ‘The Legend of the Rose.’ All the lyrics to the songs are included as well.” Taylor says she is also fond of May Hogan Cambern’s Christmas arrangements. “There are individual arrangements that are in manuscript [published by Lyra Music Company], yet are lovely to read,” she says. “Her ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ arrangement  is one of my favorites.” Carl Fisher has also published a typeset collection of her carol arrangements called The Cambern Christmas Collection. “Cambern’s arrangements have been in my Christmas stack since the 1980s, and I still turn to them.”

“Cambern’s arrangements have been in my Christmas stack since the 1980s, and I still turn to them.” —Kimberly H. Taylor

The Cambern Christmas Collection has also stood the test of time for Philadelphia-area harpist Janet Witman. “Her version of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is the best I know of—lovely descending arpeggios leading into the chant melody with rich rolling chords. I play this every year at some setting,” she says. “I use, ‘Un Flambeau, Jeanette Isabelle’ for prelude or postlude, and it’s suitable for lever harp too. ‘Sing Noel!’ is a 15th-century French carol and a not-often-heard piece. With short, fragmented scales that pull in the melody, it makes a lively postlude piece.”

Witman is always on the lookout for new Christmas music she can play during a church service. For the past 10 years, the same church has hired her to perform a 10-minute prelude, anthem, and postlude, and with the congregation hanging on every note, Witman says she tries not to repeat repertoire. Some of her other favorites include Christa Grix’s version of jazz composer Thad Jones’ famous, “A Child Is Born.” “Every jazz person knows of this piece—quiet, passionate with ear bending harmonies and under four minutes. The pedals are challenging, but Witman says it is worth the effort. “Every time I play the piece, I get heartfelt responses from people, but you need a quiet setting to play this work the way it is meant to be heard.”

“[Ray Pool’s] arrangements are upbeat, jazzy at times, and so fun to play.”
—Janet Witman

Another favorite of Witman’s for a quiet setting is “Asleep in My Arms” from Four Lullabies for Harp by Jackson Berkey (co-founder of Mannheim Steamroller) and adapted for solo harp by Kathy Bundock Moore. “If you’ve ever had the privilege of playing Berkey’s Anniversary Carols for harp and chorus, this is the solo harp piece. It begins with a recitativo section leading into a warm, jazz harmony lullaby.”

For a prelude setting, which might not be quiet, Witman likes to play the first medley in Ray Pool’s Three Christmas Medleys. The standard Christmas carols include transitions and full, rolled chords. “You’ll get a thumb workout with this collection,” she adds.

Repertoire for a church setting can differ greatly from the tunes that will work for a holiday party. Witman says her all-time favorite collection for this setting is Ray Pool’s Winter Wonderland. “His arrangements are upbeat, jazzy at times, and so fun to play,” she says. “With a good amp, you’ll be the hit of the party with tunes like ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and ‘Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.’”

Witman gets more mileage out of Ray Pool’s Three Christmas Medleys, preferring the third medley for holiday parties, which includes “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Ding Dong! Merrily on High,”  and ends with “Deck the Halls.”

One more suggestion for holiday party setlists is Frank Voltz’s version of “Go, Tell it on the Mountain.” “With walking, slap bass, and use of a swing rhythm in the old standard, you’ll be the life of the party swinging with this arrangement.”

Witman adds that all Christmas music should be practiced and prepared with pedal or lever changes and page turns ready to go well before going to the gig. “People know these tunes and might sing along and tap their toes, and you don’t want to miss a beat.”

“Tournier’s Six Noëls make a good selection for a harp solo because it won’t be duplicated elsewhere on a Christmas program.” —John Wickey

Greenville, S.C., harpist John Wickey points out the necessity of having a versatile set of Christmas solos in your repertoire. “Coming up with a solo for a concert at Christmas time can be tricky,” he says. “The rest of the program may not be set until late fall, and you don’t want to inadvertently duplicate a carol that is elsewhere on the program.” Repertoire Wickey has found works well in this situation includes Tournier’s Six Noëls (he plays I, II, and VI as a set), two or more of Salzedo’s Short Fantasies (e.g. “Catalan,” “Provençal,” and “Basque”) from his Christmas Harp Collection and the “Interlude” from Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols.

Atlanta harpist, cellist, organist, arranger, and composer Rhett Barnwell heard a recording of Kim Robertson’s Celtic Christmas collection years ago, and it mesmerized him. “I immediately bought the sheet music,” he remembers. The collection includes familiar tunes like “Coventry Carol,” “Greensleeves,” and “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” as well as early carols, folk tunes, and classical melodies like “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” “It is written at an advanced-intermediate level and playable on lever or pedal harp, with original harmonizations and accompaniment patterns that are somewhat outside the box, but well worth the effort.”

“[Kim Robertson’s Celtic Christmas] is written…with original harmonizations and accompaniment patterns that are somewhat outside the box, but well worth the effort.”
—Rhett Barnwell

Barnwell says Angi Bemiss’ Lead Sheet Basics Book III: 44 Traditional Holiday Songs, is a practical addition to any Christmas gig book. “It not only includes Christmas music (almost 20 pieces), but also music for Easter, Lent, and a few other holidays.” The Christmas standards in the book include lead sheets and realized arrangements for each piece, and all are playable on lever or pedal harp.

Even though harp students are just getting back in the lesson groove after summer, it’s a great time to start learning some Christmas music. Haddonfield, N.J., teacher Megan Hoeflicker has several favorite collections that always fit the bill.

“For beginning harpists I love Lucien Thomson’s collection Ten Christmas Carols,” she says. “The first few carols are ideal because they never require the harpist to play both hands at the same time. It’s great for a beginning student who is eager to play Christmas music for their friends and family.”

“[Lucien Thompson’s Ten Christmas Carols] is great for a beginning student who is eager to play Christmas music for their friends and family. ” —Megan Hoeflicker

Hoeflicker also loves to give her students two of Eleanor Fell’s Pop ‘N Easy books—Popular Holiday Collection and Nutcracker Ballet Selections. “I adore these collections. Both of these books make mainstream holiday music accessible to students who play both pedal and lever harp.” She adds, “Throughout the years her arrangements of ‘Frosty the Snowman’ and ‘Dance of the Reed Pipes’ continue to be student favorites.”

For her intermediate students, Hoeflicker suggests Sunita Staneslow’s collection Christmas Eve. “Everyone who hears her beautiful arrangement of ‘In the Bleak Mid-Winter’ immediately wants to purchase this book. It’s also a great choice for harpists who enjoy creating their own accompaniment, because each piece includes chord symbols along with the notation.”

Delaine Fedson Leonard, a teacher and performer in Austin, Texas, gives another vote for learning Staneslow’s Christmas Eve collection, which was first published in 1997 by Mel Bay. “How many times have you wished for a reprieve from carting around your concert grand? Sunita’s collection of interesting and well-arranged holiday music for lever harp contains some interesting tunes from around the world, and my all-time favorite arrangement of Gustav Holst’s ‘In the Bleak Midwinter.’ Her simple, yet poignant, treatment of the melody still moves me after all this time,” says Leonard. “Never fear, if you simply must move that big harp, these arrangements are playable on a pedal harp. All pieces are easy to intermediate difficulty and sight readable for the professional. When played as a set, they make a nice 20 minute break from the ‘usual suspects’ on your holiday gig.”

[Betty Paret’s The Harpist’s Book of Christmas Music] easy four-part harmony carols are one resource I use to teach my students to create their own arrangements.”
—Delaine Fedson Leonard

Leonard, like Taylor, is also a big fan of Betty Paret’s 1965 The Harpist’s Book of Christmas Music for students, with its standard Christmas carols, Bach chorales, Handel’s Messiah excerpt, and Paret originals. “As Betty states in her preface, ‘The carols in the book are in standard keys and harmony, so they can be played with any other copies used in singing groups, church, or ensemble. They are written in a medium grade of difficulty so they are easy to read, and also easy to enlarge upon.’ By this statement, I’ve always assumed that Paret meant ‘improvise’ and these easy four-part harmony carols are one resource I use to teach my students to create their own arrangements,” Leonard notes. “Paret’s ‘Legend of the Rose’ with accompanying narrative is playable by beginning students. The chorale tunes and Handel’s Messiah excerpt are useful for both Advent and Easter seasons, and the original Paret ‘Christmas Fantasy’ on ‘I Saw Three Ships’ is a showy easy to intermediate solo.”

It’s not just oldies but goodies for Leonard. She says Erin Freund’s recently published A Christmas Collection is quickly becoming a new go-to collection in her gig bag. “It’s easy to become disillusioned playing the same arrangements year after year. Erin Freund’s clever twist on Christmas and solo standards is a fun addition to the holiday mix. Her ‘Auld Land Syne in the style of Carlos Salzedo’s Tango’ and ‘Noël Nouvelet & We Three Kings in the style of Take 5’ are two of my favorites. Her mashup of ‘The First Noel’ and ‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’ is also worth a listen.” Leonard says the music is well laid out on the page and easily readable. “If you already know the standard repertoire these are based on, it may take you a couple of passes to wrap your brain, and fingers, around them, so you might not want to sight read them on your gig.” Leonard adds that the collection is  easily “de-ranged” for a harp ensemble.

For harpist Jacquelyn Bartlett, Christmas repertoire consists mostly of chamber music, choral compositions, and ballet, so the North Carolina School of the Arts teacher suggests advanced students and professionals get a jump on the following works.

“Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite for full orchestra is part of the standard repertoire for a working harpist at Christmas time,” she says. “As with any major harp work, you should have your own personal copy of the full ballet clearly marked with fingerings and pedals.” The famous harp cadenza, which signals the entrance of the flowers during the “Waltz of the Flowers” is a must-learn for harpists, and Bartlett points out that it makes an excellent study in even, flowing, melodic, descending arpeggiation. “You can also play the cadenza as background music at a Christmas social event, and the public often recognizes it because the ballet production is so popular.”

“[Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols] must be studied well in advance as it is exposed and the only instrument to accompany the voices.” —Jacquelyn Bartlett

Another major Christmas work to have in your fingers before December is Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. “This music must be studied well in advance as it is exposed and the only instrument to accompany the voices,” Bartlett says. “Each of the 11 movements presents a unique style with demanding technique and challenging interpretation. Solid rhythm, listening skills and a thorough knowledge of the voice parts is mandatory.”  Bartlett also points out that the “Interlude,” which is the seventh movement, is a harp solo and can be performed separately either as background music or as a solo during a Christmas service.

Bartlett adds that another choral work, Camille Saint-Saens’ Oratorio de Noël for organ, chamber group, and choir, is also an important December composition for harpists to practice in advance. “The ‘Trio, No. 7,’ is continual arpeggiation. It moves at a quick pace and needs to be solid and ready to move.” She suggests cutting and pasting the music for this movement because there is no time for page turns.

Continuing on the subject of chamber music, it’s always a good idea to have something you can play with the church organist when you’re hired to play a service. Jeremy Chesman, who teaches at Missouri State University and maintains a studio of Suzuki harp and organ students in Springfield, Mo., says he has two go-to collections for harp and organ. Both are relatively simple for the harpist and the organist, but very effective nonetheless.

Samuel Milligan’s collections, Vox Angelica and Vox Coelestis, include nine pieces total. “Some of the pieces, like ‘Christmas Triptych’ and ‘Gesu Bambino,’ are specifically for Christmas, Chesman says. “The other pieces in the book also have that special Christmas feeling, especially if you position the harp amongst poinsettias.” Vox Angelica requires a pedal harp, and Vox Coelestis can be played by either a pedal or a lever harp.

“[Sameul-Rousseau’s Variations Pastorales sur un vieux Noel is a great choice for Christmas because it’s a recognizable tune that doesn’t always get as much play as other American Christmas tunes.” —Jeremy Chesman

Chesman’s other staple for harp and organ is Variations Pastorales sur un vieux Noël by Marcel Samuel-Rousseau. While most harpists know this piece as a great solo for Christmas, Chesman points out that Tournier wrote a string accompaniment, which can work on organ. “This set of variations is a great choice for Christmas because it’s a recognizable tune that doesn’t always get as much play as other American Christmas tunes,” he says. “The piece is brilliantly harpistic, which is a great way to showcase the instrument and your playing for an unfamiliar audience.” Some of the variations are more difficult than others, so it’s a good one to start on now if you want to have it in your fingers come December.

Whether you are just beginning to build your Christmas repertoire or looking for something new to spice up your holiday gig book, embrace the Christmas creep this year and start learning some of these new tunes now. By the time you see the first candy canes on store shelves you’ll be well on your way to having some new Christmas rep in your back pocket.

The List

Here are the 24 Christmas collections and carols our experts suggest getting a jump on now. While it’s certainly not an exhaustive list of holiday harp repertoire, there is something for every level and every occasion.

A Ceremony of Carols
by Benjamin Britten

“A Child is Born”
arr. Christa Grix

A Christmas Collection
arr. Erin Freund

“Asleep in My Arms” from Four Lullabies for Harp
by Jackson Berkey

The Cambern Christmas Collection
arr. May Hogan Cambern

Celtic Christmas
arr. Kim Robertson

Christmas Eve
arr. Sunita Staneslow

Christmas Harp Collection
by Carlos Salzedo

Dancing Day
by John Rutter

“Go, Tell It on the Mountain”
arr. Frank Voltz

The Harpist’s Book of Christmas Music
by Betty Paret

Lead Sheet Basics Book III: 44  Traditional Holiday Songs
arr. Angi Bemiss

Nutcracker Suite
by P. I. Tchaikovsky

Oratorio de Noël
by Camille Saint-Saens

Pop ‘N’ Easy: Nutcracker Ballet  Selections
arr. Eleanor Fell

Pop ‘N’ Easy: Popular Holiday Collection
arr. Eleanor Fell

Six Noëls
by Marcel Tournier

Ten Christmas Carols
arr. Lucien Thompson

Three Christmas Medleys
arr. Ray Pool

The Ultimate Christmas Fake Book: for Piano, Vocal, Guitar, Electronic Keyboard and all C Instruments
pub. Hal Leonard

Vox Angelica and Vox Coelestis
by Samuel Milligan

Variations Pastorales sur un vieux Noël
by Marcel Samuel-Rousseau

Winter Wonderland
arr. Ray Pool