Joyeux Noël (Wind Ensemble)

Alfred Reed

Subtitle: A Christmas Greeting for Winds

General Info

Year: 1998 / 2001 / 2002
Duration: c. 4:30
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Brass ensemble
Publisher: LudwigMasters Publications
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $70.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III (all div. a2)
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Saxophone (doubling E-flat Alto Saxophone)
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
B-flat Cornet I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium (div. a2)
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including:

Bells
Chimes
Crash Cymbals
Marimba
Triangle
Vibraphone
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Joyeux Noël (the French expression of "Merry Christmas") was originally written for brass ensemble with percussion. Its success in that form, and the many resulting inquires as to its possibility as a work for full band, prompted the composer to recast the work for full concert band and wind orchestra, and in this new form it was first performed by the Eastern Wind Symphony under the direction of Dr. William Silvester on December 16, 2001, in Trenton, New Jersey. Its first performance under the composer's direction took place in Tokyo, Japan, on June 25, 2002, with Senzoku Gakuen Symphonic Wind Orchestra.

The music is built up from four primary motifs, each of which spawns some secondary thematic material during the development of the primary ones. The prevailing texture is alternately contrapuntal and harmonic, frequently a combination of both, following the practice of medieval times in its vocal and instrumental settings. The high spirits of the season, and the joy and cheer of the Christmas message to the world which the music generates, are a constant reminder of the richness of the medieval French approach to the music of its time.

- Program Note from publisher

For William H. Silvester and the Eastern Wind Symphony, with warm affection!

- Program Note from score

Commercial Discography

Audio CD: Senzoku Gakuen Symphonic Wind Orchestra (Alfred Reed, conductor) – 2001

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Senzoku Gakuen Symphonic Wind Orchestra (Alfred Reed, conductor)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Senzoku Gakuen (Kawasaki, Japan) Symphonic Wind Orchestra (Alfred Reed, conductor) – 25 June 2002
Eastern Wind Symphony (Trenton, N.J.) (William Silvester, conductor) – 16 December 2001 *Transcription Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Come, Sweet Death (Flex instrumentation) (as transcriber; arr. Benson) (1736/1976/2019)
A Festival Prelude (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Haga) (1962/2019)
Two Bagatelles (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Clark) (1983/1997/2010)

All Wind Works

Acclamation!
Alleluia! Laudamus Te (1973)
Arioso (as arranger) (1729/1998)
Armenian Dances (1972-1978)
- Armenian Dances, Part One (1972/1974)
- Armenian Dances, Part Two (1978)
Around the World in 80 Days: Selections (as arranger; ed. Rogers) (1957/2017)
Autumn Leaves (as arranger; ed. Rogers) (1947/2017)
Ballade (1956/1999)
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4 Suite (as arranger) (1965)
Berceuse and Finale from "The Firebird" (as editor; arr. McAlister) (1910/2005)
The Big East March (1997)
Canto e Camdombe
Carmen (as editor; tr. McAlister) (1875/2000)
A Celebration Fanfare (1989)
A Ceremonial Fanfare (1971)
Ceremony of Flourishes (1964)
Chanson Triste (as arranger) (1878/1989)
Characteristic Dances from "The Nutcracker Suite" (as editor with McAlister; tr. Rogan) (1892/2001)
Children's Suite (2000)
A Christmas Suite (1974)
Chorale Prelude in E minor (1953/1966)
A Christmas Celebration (1987)
A Christmas Intrada (1980)
Clear Track Polka (as arranger) (1869/2000)
Come, Sweet Death (as arranger) (1736/1976)
Come, Sweet Death (as transcriber; arr. Benson) (1736/1976/2019)
Concertino (as arranger; ed. McCathren) (1811/1962)
Concertino for Marimba and Winds (1993)
Concerto for Trumpet and Winds (1995/1997)
- Sonata
- Slow Blues, Jazz Waltz
- Song, Samba
Curtain Up! (1991)
Dance of the Hours (as editor; tr. Kennedy) (1876/)
Danza Caribe (1986)
Deck Thyself, My Soul, With Gladness (as arranger) (1653/1724/1990)
Divertimento for Flute and Band (1998)
Double Wind Quintet (1975)
East and West (2003)
El Camino Real (1985)
El Camino Real (arr. Longfield) (1985/2013)
The Enchanted Island (1980)
The Entertainer (as arranger) (1902/1974)
Evolutions (1993)
Exhortation and Praise (2003)
Fanfare and Processional (2005)
The Fantasticks (as arranger) (1966)
Fantasy on "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" (as arranger) (1973)
A Festival Prelude (1962)
A Festival Prelude (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Haga) (1962/2019)
A Festive Overture (1963)
Fifth Suite for Band (1995)
Fifth Symphony (1995)
Finlandia (as editor; tr. McAlister) (1900/2004)
First Suite for Band (1975)
Five Cameos (2002)
Five Dances for Five Clarinets and Band
Forget Me Not, O Dearest Lord (as arranger) (c. 1736/1985)
Fourth Suite for Band (1994)
Fourth Symphony (1992)
French Suite
Funiculi Funicula (as arranger) (1880/1994)
The Garden of Proserpine
Giligia (2000)
Golden Eagle (1989/1995)
Golden Jubilee (1987)
The Golden Year (1997)
Greensleeves (1993/2011)
Gypsy Dance (as arranger) (1872/1997)
Havana Moon
Highlights from "Exodus" (as arranger) (1960/1962)
Highlights from Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins" (as arranger) (1963/1965)
The Hounds of Spring (1981)
Huldigungsmarsch (as editor) (1864/2002)
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (as editor; tr. McAlister) (1853/2002)
Hymn Variants (1992)
I Left my Heart in San Francisco (as transcriber; ed. Rogers) (1954/1963)
Imperatrix (1972)
In Dulci Jubilo (as arranger) (1970)
In Memoriam (1972)
Intrada Drammatica (1968/1992)
Jazz Waltz. See: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (as arranger) (1723/1981)
Jidai (2001)
Joyeux Noël (Brass Ensemble) (1998)
Joyeux Noël (Wind Ensemble) (1998/2001/2002)
A Jubilant Overture (1970)
A Jubilant Overture (arr. Conaway) (1970/2011)
The King of Love My Shepherd Is (1995)
L’Arlésienne Suite No 2 (as editor, with McAlister) (1872/2002)
Laid-Back Rag
Light Cavalry Overture (as editor; tr. McAlister) (1866/2003)
A Little Concert Suite (1984)
Lumberjack Overture
Macarena (as arranger) (1992)
Mancini! (as arranger) (1965)
March Grandioso (as arranger) (1901/1969)
Mary Poppins (as arranger) (1964/2006)
Might and Majesty
Millennium III (1999)
Mr. Music (1990)
The Music-Makers (1968)
Music for Hamlet (1973/2018)
Music in the Air! (2000)
The Music Man: Highlights (as arranger) (1957/1959)
My Fair Lady (as arranger) (1956/?)
My Heart Is Filled With Longing (as arranger) (c. 1710/1986)
Nimrod (as arranger) (1899/1965)
Nocturne (as arranger) (1886/1953/1975)
A Nordic Trilogy (with Erickson and Davis) (1967)
A Northern Legend (1972)
O Little Town (as arranger)
O Most Wonderful (as arranger)
Ode for Trumpet (1956)
Old and New (2002)
Othello (1977)
Our Father Who Art in Heaven (as arranger) (1710/1988)
Passacaglia (1967)
Pavane for a Dead Princess (as orchestrator; ed. McAlister) (1899/1988)
Piccolo Concerto in C major (as arranger) (1728-29/1962/1969)
Pilgrim's Chorus (as arranger) (1845/1991)
The Pledge of Allegiance (1970)
Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 1 (as editor; tr. Retford) (1907/2000)
Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 2 (as editor; tr. Retford) (1907/2000)
Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 3 (as editor; tr. Retford) (1907/2000)
Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 4 (as editor; tr. Retford) (1907/2000)
Praise Jerusalem! (1986)
Prelude IV (as arranger) (1722/1983)
Prelude and Capriccio (1978)
Prelude, Op. 9, No. 1 (as arranger) (1894/1985)
Prelude to Act III from "Lohengrin" (as arranger, with McAlister) (1850/2006)
Presentation of the Silver Rose (as arranger) (1910/1988)
Pro Texana (1984)
Punchinello (1974)
Radetzky March (as arranger) (1848/1993)
Rahoon (1965)
The Ramparts of Courage (1995)
Rosalind in the Forest of Arden (2005)
Rushmore (1981)
Russian Christmas Music (1944)
Russian Christmas Music (arr. Curnow) (1944/1990)
A Sacred Suite
Salutations! (1995)
Samba. See: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Seascape: A Dramatic Intermezzo (1962)
Second Century (1986)
Second Suite for Band (1980)
Second Symphony (1979)
Selections from Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins" (as editor; arr. Kostal) (1963/1964)
Serenade (1966)
Seventh Suite for Band (2002)
The Severn Suite (as arranger) (1973)
Siciliana Notturno (1977)
Silver Shadow (1998/1999)
Sine Nomine (as arranger) (1906/1976)
Sixth Suite for Band
Slavonic Folk Suite (1953/1987)
Slow Blues. See: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Sonata. See: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Song. See: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Song of the High Cascades
Song of Threnos (1964)
A Springtime Celebration (1991)
The Strenuous Life (as arranger) (1902/1974)
Sumus Futuro (1999)
A Symphonic Prelude (1963)
Symphony for Brass and Percussion (1952/1967)
Symphony No. 1. See: Symphony for Brass and Percussion
Symphony No. 2. See: Second Symphony
Symphony No. 3 (1988)
- Variations on the Porazzi Theme of Wagner (1882/1988)
Symphony No. 4. See: Fourth Symphony
Symphony No. 5. See: Fifth Symphony
Tannhäuser Grand March (as editor; tr. McAlister) (1847/2005)
Tarantella (1996)
Testament of an American (1974)
Theme from "Lawrence of Arabia" (as arranger) (1963)
Third Suite for Band (1982)
Third Symphony. See: Symphony No. 3
Three Chorales (as arranger; ed. McAlister) (?/2013)
Three Revelations from the Lotus Sutra (1984)
Three Symphonic Preludes (as arranger)
Thunder and Lightning (1999)
The Tsar's Farewell (as arranger) (2001)
Twelfth Night (2003)
Two Bagatelles (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Clark) (1983/1997/2010)
Two Bagatelles (1983/1995)
Two Bagatelles for Concert Band (1983/1997)
Two Bagatelles for Four Trombones (1983)
Variations on the Porazzi Theme of Wagner. See: Symphony No. 3
Victory! (2005)
Vilia (as arranger) (1905/1990)
Vilabella March (as editor) (1970)
Viva Musica! (1984)
Wapawekka (1963)
With Trumpets And Drums (1992)

Resources

Reed, A. (1999). Joyeux Noël: For Brass Choir [score]. Masters Music: Boca Raton, Fla.