What would you say is the best resource for a cappella Christmas caroling? Possibly in parts? Started it with the youth choir last year, just printing out some lyrics, but would like some sort of all-in-one booklet with music notation, and in parts, so that we could get adult choir members to join in and sing the harmonies. I saw a booklet through GIA, but wondering if there are any other recommendations out there. Thanks!
And CharlesW, haha, I am a planner. It is one of my favorite aspects of my job (probably not the norm for most artistic people, I know!). Music is already set up through beginning of October. I use the summer to really think through plans for ALL the choirs, setting schedules for them, looking for new music, and planning ahead for any special events.
The Shorter New Oxford Book of Carols (The blue book) is a handy size, and contains a representative amount from the "yuge" New Oxford Book of Carols (The red book) edited by Keyte & Parrott. Also the 'old' Oxford Book of Carols, mentioned above, edited by Dearmer, Shaw, & Vaughan Williams, is a go to resource. And, I should mention:CPDL. It's free and you can download as many carols as you want, and freely copy them to make your own caroling book with only the contents that you want! Also, Hymnary.org will be useful with this, too.
The link I provided above is to a free collection of 150 public domain carols with harmonies, available in nicely designed PDF format both for tablets and for 8"x11" printouts. And it provides individual files, including MP3s.... It's hard to beat as a basis for this kind of thing.
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