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Songbook Review: A Christmas Collection
Greg Maroney
Cover image of the songbook A Christmas Collection by Greg Maroney
A Christmas Collection
Greg Maroney
2013 / Greg Maroney
84 pages / 20 songs
Review by Kathy Parsons
A Christmas Collection songbook is the companion sheet music to Greg Maroney’s 2011 recording by the same name. Greg’s songbooks are usually transcribed note-for-note (or very close to it!) to the recordings, but he wanted his Christmas sheet music to be playable for pianists at a more intermediate level. The transcriptions don’t vary much from the recording, but some of the timing was simplified a bit, some of the chords were shortened a little, etc. - minor adjustments like that. Greg kept most of his twenty arrangements straight-forward and traditional, although some of them have brief interludes that were most likely improvisations on the recording (included in the sheet music). This collection is perfect for pianists to play for their own enjoyment, church pianists, and anyone who wants a large number of Christmas songs in one book that are not overly challenging but sound great. Most of the pieces would also be excellent accompaniments for sing-alongs as well as solo piano performances.

As usual, Greg did the transcriptions and I worked closely with him with edits and suggestions. The notation is nice and roomy, clear, and very easy to read. The book is spiral-bound to stay open on the piano. Dynamics, metronome settings, and expression are all clearly marked. A couple of the pieces have chords that are the reach of a tenth, but those can be rolled or a note can be removed for smaller hands. This is a beautiful collection for pianists of all ages and is available from gregmaroney.com and Amazon. Recommended!!!

Carol of the Bells - key of G minor (2 flats) - 10 pages
Deck the Halls - key of F (1 flat) - 3 pages
Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming - key of F - 3 pages
Still, Still, Still - key of D (2 sharps) - 3 pages
Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella - key of G (1 sharp) - 6 pages
Coventry Carol - key of A minor (0 sharps or flats) - 5 pages
In the Bleak Midwinter - key of F - 3 pages
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - key of Bb (2 flats) - 4 pages
Angels We Have Heard On High - key of F - 3 pages
Good King Wenceslas - key of G - 3 pages
Away In a Manger - key of F /G - 3 pages
O Christmas Tree - key of F - 2 pages
We Three Kings of Orient Are - key of E minor (1 sharp) - 3 pages
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - key of G - 3 pages
O Come, O Come Emmanuel - key of E minor - 4 pages
The Holly and the Ivy - key of G - 3 pages
O Come, All Ye Faithful - key of G - 2 pages
What Child Is This - key of E minor - 6 pages
O Holy Night - key of C - 5 pages
Silent Night - key of Bb - 4 pages
November 14, 2013
This songbook has been tagged as:
Holiday Songbooks
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