2024 the best classic christmas movies review

Price: $13.99
(as of Dec 06, 2024 07:01:08 UTC - Details)

The Christmas season has inspired decades of memorable popular music. Mark Hayes revisits some of these timeless songs, expertly casting them in the rich voice of the piano. Titles: The Gift * Grown-Up Christmas List * Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas * I'll Be Home for Christmas * It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year * Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! * Let There Be Peace on Earth * The Little Drummer Boy * Sleigh Ride * Toyland.
The arrangements here are sure to impress any party crowd"
--Yiyi Ku, Music Teachers Helper Blog"

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alfred Music (August 1, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 52 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0739082884
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0739082881
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.7 x 0.2 x 11.7 inches
Reviewer: David K. Miller
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Very Nice - Buy It!
Review: I bought this book a couple months ago but just opened it today to start preparing holiday playlists. I've performed Hayes' piano/organ liturgical pieces and they can be quite challenging. This is a sweet collection of Christmas arrangements! Difficult enough, but not too hard to learn if you've got secure technique.Arrangement style: four-note chords in either hand, up to two-octave arpeggios in left hand and three octaves in the right, key changes, nice chord substitutions with plenty of color notes (maj. 7ths, 9ths, etc.), rhythm/style change-ups (straight, swing, baroque, jazz waltz, stride - without tenths), and mostly 5 to 8 pages long. The pieces lay nicely under the fingers; no strange patterns or fingerings.Hayes improves modern tunes such as Brickman's "The Gift" and David Foster's "Grown-Up Christmas List", but the standards are also given new life. I'm only slightly disappointed with "Sleigh Ride" and "Little Drummer Boy". They're not quite as successful as the rest, although 'Drummer' is set to sort of a funky rhythm that I'm going to play with. "Toyland" and "Let There Be Peace on Earth" are especially beautiful, and even though I have at least a couple other arrangements of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Let It Snow!", I'll probably start using Hayes' versions because the reharmonizations sound more modern.For about ten bucks, this book is a steal!UPDATE: OK, I take back the criticism of "Sleigh Ride". Hayes' arrangement works for me with a little bit of rhythmic (eighth note) fill and a groove copied from Tom Grant's version on a 1996 CD titled "Have Yourself a Merry. . . " (Check Rhapsody or I-Tunes) Grant does some neat little hesitations at cadences that really spice up sort of a ricky-tick delivery.

Reviewer: Linda
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Creative, beautiful arrangements
Review: Playing these arrangements is a pleasure. They definitely are for an advanced pianist. The sensitivity to the possibilities of what’s possible withwith the piano are integral within each piece. They are highly entertaining also. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer: D. Papenbrock
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fantastic collection of holiday repertoire
Review: This really is a fantastic collection! I just received it today and did a cover to cover play through and it's certain to be a mainstay in my repertoire.Compared to many collections these arrangement are sufficiently long enough to develop the themes and, if the case, hold an audience attention. Page lengths are at least 4 pages and many 6 or more. I haven't timed the play lengths in detail, but they seem to be in 3-5 minute range. The arrangements all include some sort of key change (Hayes is very good at this!) or mood contrast. And the arrangements, while all in a jazz idiot, have a separate and distinct feel about them.I would particularly note the Let It Know!, Drummer Boy, Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and Sleigh Ride arrangements. Drummer Boy is especially unique with its "African" tonal and rhythm patterns.The book is marked is marked 'Advanced Piano' and I would tend to agree, though there are certainly more difficult books out there (thinking Mike Garvin and perhaps Craig Curry or Michael Hassell here). Some pieces are easier than others making it a good bet for early-Advanced players with enough challenge and opportunity for performance personalization by advanced players. Also, not often found in collections these days, but fingerings are provided on many of the more complex licks which is quite nice and appreciated!Mark Hayes is a solid bet on any publication but this release is a step above! At just $13, less any Amazon discounts, for a great collection of 10 arrangements, all useful and worthwhile, it's an absolute no-brainer purchase. For providing great music resources like this Mark has earned his just reward!

Reviewer: Daniel J Mobley
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fantastic Advanced Secular Christmas Piano Arrangements
Review: This book does not disappoint with some of the best advanced piano arrangements I have found for these Christmas classics. Highly recommend.

Reviewer: JoBuck
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I love any of Mark Hayes' work
Review: I love any of Mark Hayes' work. This is a really nice book to add to a traditional Christmas collection. I'd say it is closer to "intermediate" level, pretty easy to work up quickly for most. Glad to have arrangements of some non-traditional songs, can keep playing them even after Christmas.

Reviewer: Past Romance
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Another great book of Mark Hayes arrangements!
Review: I have more books of Christmas music than I can count, but I guarantee this one is going to stay on the top of the pile!Mark Hayes is a fabulous arranger of solos for the piano. His pieces always have that extra "something" that make them fun to perform and a joy to hear. This is not an easy book. It is just difficult enough with the runs and "decorations" that it sounds fabulous. I would classify it as moderately advanced for sure.The minute the UPS driver brought my Amazon box to the house, I ripped it open and played through the entire book. My daughter's comment was "Wow, Mom! That sounds fantastic. PLAY IT AGAIN!" That's about as good of a review as you can get 🙂

Reviewer: MrsB0429
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Beautiful
Review: It's so hard sometimes to find Christmas music that's enjoyable, advanced, and pretty. This book met all those needs. Advanced without being too complicated.

Reviewer: Barbie
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: good book
Review: This a really nice book, but the arrangements are a little harder than I like to do now. I used to play a lot of Mark Hayes pieces years ago, but I guess now that I am older it is less stressful to do things a little easier. I could do them if I really wanted to spend more times practicing. This really is a good book and if you have more time than I do to work on music, this is a great book. I love Mark Hayes arrangements.

Reviewer: Mathias
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Sehr schön gesetzte Noten. Die Stücke klingen sehr gut. Bin begeistert 👍😎

Reviewer: Sewpurple
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Love Mark Hayes arrangements, so playable and with a good full sound.

Reviewer: Nico
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Genau was ich gesucht habe: anspruchsvolle Weihnachtslieder... wobei "The gift" und "Let there be peace on earth" auch das ganze über Jahr spielbar sind.Christmas classics bezieht sich hier auf die USA, manche Stücke kannte ich vorher gar nicht. Bei den bekannteren wie "let it snow" oder "the little drummer boy" fühlte ich mich sofort an das nervige Gedudel im Radio und an die einfachen Varianten in den leichten Weihnachtsheften erinnert; ich muss jetzt aber sagen, dass Mark Hayes wirklich interessante Varianten niedergeschrieben hat.Eine prima Ergänzung zu den deutschen Klassikern!Für Fortgeschrittene, anspruchsvoll. Große Hände von Vorteil.Der Durchschnittsmensch sollte sich schon im Hochsommer mit diesem Band befassen, damit es am verschneiten Winterabend auch Spass macht...Inhalt:The gift (Ich persönlich mag aber "The gift" arr. von Sallee in "The 2000s" lieber)Grown-up christmas listHave yourself a merry little christmas (Sinatra)I'll be home for christmas (Bing Crosby)It's the most wonderful time of yearLet it snow! Let it...Let there be peace on earthThe little drummer boySleigh ride (Leroy Anderson)Toyland