{"id":143399,"date":"2022-10-27T08:35:20","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T12:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/?p=143399"},"modified":"2024-01-11T12:14:31","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T17:14:31","slug":"staff-holiday-picks-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/staff-holiday-picks-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Staff Holiday Picks 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

The holidays are just around the corner, so we’ve put together a list of our favorite holiday music to download now, handpicked by Harp Column staff. You can check out previous lists here<\/a>, too!<\/p>\n

(Titles marked with an *asterisk are playable on lever harp. All pieces listed are for solo harp unless otherwise noted.)<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tAmanda Whiting\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Jazzy Christmas Songs<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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\n\t\t\tRhett Barnwell\t\t<\/p>\n\t

A Christmas Serenade<\/a><\/p>

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\n\t\t\tAnne Sullivan\t\t<\/p>\n\t

English and German Carols Set<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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\"\"<\/p>\n

Kim’s picks<\/h3>\n

Harp Column founder Kimberly Rowe is web editor at Harp Column, Harp Column Music, and Harp Column Academy. She is also co-founder of the Young Artist\u2019s Harp Seminar and runs Trust Tree Designs with HC Magazine editor, Alison Reese.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

*English and German Carols Set<\/a>
\nby Anne Sullivan<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

For my Holiday Staff Picks this year I revisited some oldie-but-goodie collections that you definitely should not overlook! Anne Sullivan\u2019s <\/span>English and German Carols<\/span><\/a> set was one of the first products available here at Harp Column Music, and it\u2019s still one of my seasonal favorites. The set includes two separate PDFs of three carols each, which can also be purchased separately. <\/span>Three English Carols<\/span><\/i> includes some very familiar melodies (\u201cGreensleeves,\u201d \u201cO Little Town of Bethlehem\u201d and \u201cI Saw Three Ships\u201d), while <\/span>Three German Carols<\/span><\/i> includes a few less common tunes that you\u2019ll enjoy getting to know (\u201cKling Glocken,\u201d \u201cSusani, Susani,\u201d and \u201cIn Dulci Jubilo\u201d). Sullivan\u2019s accessible but interesting renditions make this collection a great holiday repertoire staple for students and professionals alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

*Twelve Jazzy Christmas Songs<\/a>
\n<\/span>by Pedal Sliders<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

If you think the harp world doesn\u2019t need one more arrangement of \u201cCoventry Carol\u201d or \u201cSilent Night,\u201d then you obviously haven\u2019t discovered <\/span>Twelve Jazzy Christmas Songs<\/span><\/a> by the Pedal Sliders (a.k.a Amanda Whiting and Tony Robinson). It\u2019s no secret here at Harp Column Music that I\u2019m a big fan of this arranging duo, and these pieces were also among the first to be added to the Harp Column Music catalog. In addition to some traditional carols reinvented in a jazzy style that falls right into a harpist\u2019s hands, you\u2019ll also find catchy originals like \u201cLittle Elfy,\u201d \u201cChristmas Shopping,\u201d and \u201cThe Elf Factory.\u201d These tunes have the same feel and structure as more familiar pop-jazz titles, but your audience won\u2019t know the difference. The entire collection will fill a holiday music set and then some, but you can also purchase each piece individually. Take my word for it\u2014you won\u2019t be disappointed!<\/span><\/p>\n

*A Christmas Serenade<\/a>
\n<\/span>by Rhett Barnwell<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

Harp Column Academy sacred music and lever harp specialist Rhett Barnwell also happens to be a top-notch arranger, as evidenced by this best-selling collection of traditional carols. <\/span>A Christmas Serenade<\/span><\/a> includes six familiar melodies (\u201cI Wonder as I Wander,\u201d \u201cCarol of the Bells,\u201d \u201cLo, How a Rose,\u201d and more) perfectly suited for holiday worship services and beyond. Subtitled \u201cfor the soul,\u201d these pieces are indeed harp comfort food. And let\u2019s be honest, who doesn\u2019t need something comforting to play on Christmas Eve when cold fingers and late hours call for a sure bet. \u2014You\u2019re welcome, signed Harp Column!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRhett Barnwell\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Joy to the World<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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\n\t\t\tNadia Birkenstock\t\t<\/p>\n\t

First Snow<\/a><\/p>

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Amy’s picks\"\"<\/a><\/h3>\n

Amy Nam is an award winning composer and professional harpist based in Minneapolis, MN. As managing editor at Harp Column Music, she helps curate and organize our catalog!<\/em><\/p>\n

*Joy to the World<\/a>
\narr. Rhett Barnwell<\/em><\/h4>\n

If you\u2019re looking for holiday music with a contemplative vibe, look no further than Rhett Barnwell\u2019s expressive and elegant arrangement of \u201cJoy to the World.\u201d<\/a> With its flowing arpeggios and simple melodic line, this fresh take on a well-loved tune can be learned with ease.<\/p>\n

*First Snow<\/a>
\nby Nadia Birkenstock<\/em><\/h4>\n

The modal melodies found in this original piece by Nadia Birkenstock evoke the feelings of both solemn ancient rituals and timeless celebration. Be sure to take a listen to Birkenstock\u2019s music video of the piece, recorded in a snowy forest!<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tKim Robertson\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Jolly Old Pachelbel<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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\n\t\t\tGrace Bauson\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Carol of the Bells<\/a><\/p>

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\n\t\t\tCorkey Christman\t\t<\/p>\n\t

The Holly and the Ivy<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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Liana’s picks\"\"<\/a><\/h3>\n

Liana Alpino manages our social media, frequently blogs<\/a> for us, and also helps us keep our Harp Column Music catalog up to date. Based in Nashville, TN, she maintains an active performing schedule and passionately composes and arranges for harp in her spare time.<\/em><\/p>\n

*Jolly Old Pachelbel<\/a>
\n<\/span>by Kim Robertson<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of mashups. You can’t go wrong with this work by Kim Robertson that intertwines the traditional carol “Jolly Old St. Nicholas” with Pachelbel’s classic Canon in D<\/em>. I already know that this will be a holiday gig staple and that audiences will love it! What’s even better? Robertson has both an advanced beginner and intermediate version available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Carol of the Bells<\/a>
\n<\/span>arr. Grace Bauson<\/span><\/h4>\n

“Wow” is all I can begin to say about this arrangement by the incredible Grace Bauson. It is stunning and an absolute must if you are putting together a holiday recital. I would consider it a fantasy on Mykola Leontovych’s famous “Carol of the Bells” melody as Bauson includes a few interludes and rhythmic interplay between 3\/4 and 6\/8. It’s challenging, but at the same time, not as difficult as it sounds!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*The Holly and the Ivy<\/a>
\n<\/span>arr. Corkey Christman<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

In my opinion, “The Holly and the Ivy” is one of the most underrated Christmas carols. It has such a fun, joyous melody and I fell in love with the tune a few Christmases back. Corkey Christman’s arrangement has both exciting and reflective moments. The harmonies are wonderful and Corkey uses interesting jumps and rhythms to keep the carol fresh!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tDebbie Vinick\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Let There Be Peace on Earth<\/a><\/p>

Rated 5.00<\/strong> out of 5<\/span><\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\t\tAlyssa Reit\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Three Holiday Favorites<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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\n\t\t\tAlyssa Reit\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Three Holiday Favorites vol. II<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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\n\t\t\tLauren Scott\t\t<\/p>\n\t

The First Snowdrops (harp trio)<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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\"\"Danielle’s picks<\/h3>\n

Harp Column customer service representative<\/span> Danielle Kuntz performs and teaches in Ann Arbor, MI. An advocate for new music, Danielle offers consultations to composers and even has her own harp writing course.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Let There Be Peace On Earth<\/span><\/a>
\n<\/span><\/i>arr. Debbie Vinick<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

For the holiday harpist, this arrangement of “Let There Be Peace On Earth” <\/a><\/span>should be a staple of your gig book. The familiar tune is masterfully arranged with lush harmonies that gradually increase in chromaticism through each iteration of the piece. Don\u2019t be nervous though, the pedal changes are clearly notated! The ending arpeggios make this a great closer for your holiday set. Additionally, this arrangement is sight-readable for professionals and easy to learn for intermediate students. <\/span><\/p>\n

*Three Holiday Favorites<\/a>
\n<\/span>Alyssa Reit<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

Calling all lever harpists! If you are looking to expand your holiday repertoire, Alyssa Reit\u2019s <\/span>Three Holiday Favorites Volume 1<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Volume 2<\/span><\/a> are a must. Each collection includes three familiar tunes (including \u201cDeck the Halls\u201d, \u201cCarol of the Bells\u201d, \u201cWhat Child is This\u201d, and more) arranged for the lever harp. These arrangements feel very comfortable for the hands, and yet incorporate plenty of variety in the accompaniment. These pieces are written for advanced beginners\/early intermediate and are also perfect for professional use. <\/span><\/p>\n

*The First Snow Drops<\/a> (for three harps)
\n<\/span>Lauren Scott<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

Lauren Scott\u2019s music is always delightful and this lovely original composition is perfect for holiday-themed harp ensemble concerts. This piece is written for three lever harps with pre-set lever changes from the start. No lever changes needed during the piece. Each part only requires one hand at a time and is perfect for beginner students. Highly recommend!<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tHannah Haynes\t\t<\/p>\n\t

The First Frost<\/a><\/p>

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\n\t\t\tCindy Horstman\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Snow Daze<\/a><\/p>

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\n\t\t\tClaire Swanson\t\t<\/p>\n\t

No\u00ebl Collection<\/a><\/p>

Rated 5.00<\/strong> out of 5<\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Kristina’s picks<\/h3>\n

Kristina Finch is host of the Harp Column podcast<\/a>, of which we currently have 87 episodes! She is principal harpist of both the Miami Symphony Orchestra and Palm Beach Symphony, is an adjunct professor of harp at The University of Southern Mississippi, and is the creator of the One Pedal Off Digital Harp Conference.<\/em><\/p>\n

*The First Frost<\/a>
\n<\/span>Hannah Haynes<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

This is a sparkly little piece in minor that is a great original contribution to a holiday gig book! This piece is very playable, with a repeated pattern in the left hand for much of the piece accompanying a sweet melody. With no lever or pedal changes in this piece, it is all the more accessible to the less experienced player, and is a great teaching piece on top of that! A lovely addition to an evening holiday service, quiet dinner gig, or as a holiday meditation of your own, this piece has the potential for a life far outside of the holiday season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Snow Daze<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(mixed ensemble)
\n<\/span>Cindy Horstman\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

I\u2019m generally a big fan of Cindy\u2019s compositions and this piece is no exception. It has a very \u201cSleigh Ride\u201d feel to it with each harpist playing an important role in creating an overall exciting piece for three harps. Better yet, the piece is for modular ensemble, allowing for both pedal and lever harps. Parts 2 and 3 can only be played on pedal harp, but bring your lever playing friends along for Harp 1! This piece would be great for ensembles of any level; the parts are well balanced, not too challenging, and straight forward to put together. Pieces like this make me wish I lived somewhere with more harpists!<\/span><\/p>\n

*No<\/span>\u00ebl Collection<\/a>
\nClaire Swanson<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

This is my FAVORITE collection of holiday tunes on HCM. No. Seriously. I love this collection. These tricky, but well-worth-the-effort arrangements are joyful to play, sensitive and authentic to their traditional settings, and keep the player constantly on their toes. I can recall sight reading the arrangement of \u201cIn the Bleak Midwinter\u201d and thinking to myself that it didn\u2019t look so bad… that is until I reached the final verse, a stunning polyrhythm and harmonics section that is so satisfy to play once you get the hang of it! I feel like each of these arrangements just screams harp. They each utilize all of the elements of our instrument that make us unique\u2014our ability to play fast running arpeggios with a singing thumb, sweeping glissandos, harmonics, polyrhythms and large rolled chords\u2014and I say \u201cYES\u201d to all of it!<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tMegan Reeve\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Silent Night\/Prelude from Suite no. 1<\/a><\/p>

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\n\t\t\tFran\u00e7ois Couture\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Silent Night<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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\n\t\t\tHarriet Adie\t\t<\/p>\n\t

Silent Night (solo)<\/a><\/p><\/div>

\n\t$<\/span>8.00<\/bdi><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

Alison’s picks \"\"<\/a><\/h3>\n

Alison Reese is editor of Harp Column magazine. She also plays frequently with the Grand Rapids symphony and teaches students of all ages. She is also a self proclaimed hot yoga lover and grammar geek!<\/em><\/p>\n

I am always on the hunt for the most-requested carol of the Christmas season\u2014\u201dSilent Night.\u201d Who doesn\u2019t want to hear this beautifully simple Franz Gruber song wafting from the harp\u2019s strings? So I was thrilled to find not one but <\/span>three<\/span><\/i> worthy arrangements to add to my gig book this year. <\/span><\/p>\n

*Silent Night\/Prelude from Suite No. 1\u00a0<\/a>
\nMegan Reeve<\/em><\/h4>\n

Megan Reeve borrowed from J.S. Bach\u2019s beloved \u201cPrelude\u201d from <\/span>Suite No. 1 for Cello<\/span><\/i> (BWV1007) to provide the canvas for her new \u201cSilent Night\u201d arrangement. She opens with Bach\u2019s familiar cello line, transposed from its original key of G major to F major, only requiring a few simple lever or pedal changes for the harp to modulate to the key of C major. When the open chords of \u201cSilent Night\u201d emerge in the right hand, it makes for a pleasant surprise for the listener, and an enjoyable opportunity for the harpist to play two beautiful melodies at the same time. Sounds like a win-win to me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Silent Night<\/a>
\narr. Fran\u00e7ois Couture<\/em><\/h4>\n

For a completely different \u201cSilent Night\u201d experience, I recommend checking out Fran<\/span>\u00e7<\/span>ois Couture\u2019s arrangement of Franz Gruber\u2019s original. While Couture leaves the melody untouched, he has some fun with the harmony, writing a bass line that weaves through some jazzy chords that would have blown ol\u2019 Franz\u2019s mind. I appreciate that Couture includes the chord symbols\u00a0 for those of us who are harmonically challenged. There is no risk of getting bored with this arrangement, as Couture adds a third line of harmonics to keep you busy in the second verse. This colorful arrangement will provide the perfect ending to a late-night Christmas set.<\/span><\/p>\n

Silent Night<\/a>
\narr. Harriet Adie<\/em><\/h4>\n

One of the Christmas Eve services I play every year ends with everyone in attendance lighting candles while I play a few variations on \u201cSilent Night.\u201d \u201cThe harpier the better,\u201d the music director says of my rendition. This year, I need look no further than<\/span> Harriet Adie\u2019s solo arrangement of \u201cSilent Night.\u201d<\/span><\/a> Adie has the right hand do the heavy lifting in her four-verse publication. She works her way from simple eighth notes to shimmery 32nd notes before coming back down to a peaceful ending of harmonic eighth notes. If you like this arranging style, this solo is also included in Adie\u2019s <\/span>Christmastide Volume One<\/span><\/a> collection, where it is one of eight beautiful arrangements that show off the harp\u2019s beauty in carols.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\tShop all holiday music!<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The holidays are just around the corner, so we’ve put together a list of our favorite holiday music to download now, handpicked by Harp Column staff. You can check out previous lists here, too! (Titles marked with an *asterisk are playable on lever harp. All pieces listed are for solo harp unless otherwise noted.) Kim’s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10992,"featured_media":143723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[710,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-143399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seasonal-recommendations","category-staff-picks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10992"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143399"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143399\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143724,"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143399\/revisions\/143724"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harpcolumn.com\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}