Over the River and Through the Woods
This perennial holiday favorite begins with an all-malleted section, followed by a handchime section, reflective of a horse-drawn sleigh running into bad weather along the way. The ending is a joyful reprise, bursting with the cheer of the season. The optional woodblock or temple blocks, whip and jingle bells capture the true spirit of a winter sleigh ride traveling towards family and friends. Concert goers will find it difficult not to sing along with this delightful arrangement. A reproducible percussion part is included. The tempo is set at a brisk dotted-eighth = 88 (in six-eight time); otherwise, the piece is about a medium level. Set in C Major and c minor, it is 72 very fast measures.