Christmas Carols for the Intermediate Pianist is a collection of ten Christmas carols arranged for solo piano. I really like the arrangements, but I think I should mention that although they are intended for “intermediate” pianists, most would not fall under the category of “easy piano.” As a piano teacher for 40 years, I often went on the assumption that “intermediate” level pieces would be fine for young, advancing students, but in this case, there are quite a few chords and reaches of more than an octave, and most kids’ hands aren’t that big yet. Lester Le Roux, the arranger, states in the forward of the book “This book is designed for pianists at the intermediate to advanced-intermediate level who wish to bring the magic of Christmas into their performances.” I agree!

Lester has done a really nice job of including some less-than-common harmonies and rhythms that give these very familiar carols and hymns a feeling of sophistication without making them “too different” for more traditional ears. They are well-suited for student piano recitals (older kids and adults), church services, family get-togethers, and just about any situation that would welcome interesting arrangements of familiar Christmas music.

The layout for the music is spacious and most pages have three lines of music with 2-5 measures on each line, so the pages are very “roomy” and easy to read. Phrasing and metronome settings are clearly marked. It’s a very nice collection and is available to download from LesterLeRouxMusic.com, SheetMusicPlus.com, SheetMusicDirect.com and FourthWall.com. There are sample pages on Lester’s website, too.

If you are looking for “Here Comes Santa Claus” or “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer,” know that the ten carols (listed below) are older, more traditional songs.

The titles of the songs, the key(s) they are in, and the number of pages are:

Hark! The Herald Angles Sing - Key F (1 flat) - 2 1/2 pages
Away In a Manger - Key of F (1 flat) - 2 1/2 pages
O Holy Night - Key of Bb (2 flats) - 6 pages
Deck the Halls - Key of G (1 sharp)/ Key of A (3 sharps) - 5 1/2 pages
We Three Kings - Key of E Minor (1 sharp)/ C minor (3 flats) - 4 1/2 pages
O Come, All Ye Faithful - Key of G (1 sharp) - 5 pages
Silent Night - Key of A (3 sharps) - 5 1/2 pages
Ding Dong Merrily On High - Key of F (1 flat)/ G (1 sharp) - 5 1/2 pages
The First Noel - Key of C (0 sharps or flats)/C minor (3 flats) - 3 1/2 pages
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Key of E minor (1 sharp)/ C (0 sharps or flats) - 6 1/2 pages