We Wish You A Merry Christmas – String Orchestra
The Story
This arrangement of We Wish You a Merry Christmas was written for the Liberian Youth Orchestra. Last year I heard via a friend on facebook that a mutual friend and string teacher from Michigan, Julie McGhee was starting a new youth orchestra in Liberia, West Africa. In November 2018 The Liberian Youth Orchestra was born. Through the use of distance learning technology, 34 children are learning to play violin and cello in their school. She visits the school a couple times a year to teach in person and to conduct concerts. I heard about her project through a metal friend on facebook, and sent her some of my beginning string arrangements. She choose an arrangement to use last year and then sent me a video of them playing. It was so awesome to hear kids across the world playing the same pieces I hear in my studio here in the U.S! Think of what that orchestra in heaven will look and sound like! I can’t wait!
This year Julie wrote and asked if I had any Christmas music for beginning orchestra. As I looked through my files I didn’t have any! (Which is sort of surprising since I love Christmas music!) So, I offered to write something for the orchestra. She asked the kids in Liberia what Christmas songs they knew. I got two titles back, Silent Night and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Since I wrote a duet of Silent Night last year, I decided to do We Wish You a Merry Christmas this year. Here is a short video about the Liberian Youth Orchestra.
To learn how you can help the Liberian Youth Orchestra, visit their website. You can sponsor a student’s monthly education cost, donate to help off-set Julie’s travel expenses to Liberia. Corporations such as Shar Music, Ann Arbor, MI and Glasser Bows, New York have donated instruments, stands, music, strings, and accessories. Be sure and check out their website to see how you can take part!
Also, check out this story of how a school in London has been transformed by the string program in their school. See how your support can help a child learn music.
* I receive no commission or any benefit from The Liberian Youth Orchestra. But, I just think it’s a great organization and love what they are doing and I’m happy to help kids learn strings wherever they are in the world in whatever way I can.
Techinques
I didn’t realize how short We Wish You a Merry Christmas was! I finished sketching out the tune and realized it was only about 30 seconds long! Oh no! I was going to have to really get creative on this one. I would mull over ideas while out running or driving. Let just say there’s some mileage in this piece!
- Mostly first position – Violin 1 shifts into 3rd position for the very last note.
- Lots of chromatic lines (I included some fingering suggestions for violin and viola)
- Syncopated rhythms using eighth notes and quarter notes
- Time signature change from 3/4 to 4/4
- Pizzicato with a quick switch to arco
- Ragtime feel for one section
