Paul,

 

I can very highly recommend the most recent edition of both traditional Christmas songs and additional more modern tunes in the Salvation Army edition.  The arrangements are a wonderful combination of straightforward traditional presentations with understated but quite lovely creative reharmonizations.  They are published in a variety of books for Bb, C, Eb, and bass clef instruments, including strings (with alto clef viola), which can be combined in a wide variety of ways for melody, first and second harmony, countermelody, and bass line.

 

These are individual arrangements of individual carols and songs, without fancy added introductions or endings, but they can be used in very creative ways by very creative people.  I put several of them together to create a Singalong Medley that will be used both this weekend for Madrigal Dinners and for a performance at a Retirement Community by our Community String Orchestra next Monday.

 

There is also a piano-vocal book, but my understanding is that it is NOT an exact duplicate of the published instrumental books and there may be places where they do not line up exactly.  I just don't know, because when I was evaluating them I did not discover that. 

 

I'm sure there are many other good settings available, but with music this well arranged, why reinvent the wheel?!!

 

All the best,

 

John

 

 

John, This sounds perfect.   Do you have pub. info? 

best, Paul

I Second the Salvation Army books.  My brass quintet uses them extensively.