PDF versionA4, Score (12) & parts (4x4=16)
12 carols:
I Traditional - The holly and the ivy: Merrily
II Traditional - The first nowell: Flowing
III Kirkpatrick - Away in a manger: Soft, flowing
IV Traditional - Good King Wenceslas
V Traditional - God rest ye, merry gentlemen: Lively
VI Fruber, F - Silent night
VII Gauntlett, H. J. - Once in Royal David's city
VIII Traditional - O come all ye faithful: Moderato
IX Pyke, E. Franklin - Christmas bells
X Traditional - It came upon the midnight clear
XI Mendelssohn, Felix - Hark the herald angel sing: Moderato
XII Traditional - We three kings of orient are: Lively
Horn 1: b - g2
Horn 2: g - e2
Horn 3: bb - f2
Horn 4: g - c2
Similar to the first volume in the series, Cor by four! - Easy quartets book I, this publication is targeted at a beginner's quartet with only treble clef, a limited number of keys, simple time signatures, moderate tempi, and simple harmonic and melodic constructs used. What puts this volume apart from the others is its theme: Christmas music.
In order to keep the price low, every carol only contains one harmonized verse, however more can be added ad libitum. This makes Cor by four! - Easy quartets book II: The Christmas album an ideal volume to accompany a children's choir (in unison, otherwise the harmonies might have to be checked against the choral version). In regards to teaching usability, it has the same strengths as the other publications: two alternating high parts, and two low parts, with one fairly basic (the fourth).
At first glance the range in this volume seems to be slightly wider than in the others. This is a misconception though, as only one carol, Christmas bells, requires the added third on top. Al the other pieces stop at the usual e2 for horns 1 and 3, and somewhere around g1-b1 for the other two. When the season comes around (and even before in preparation for it), Cor by four! - Easy quartets book II: The Christmas album is a great choice for every beginner's quartet (and its teacher).
Provision of review score: John Lynsdale-Nock (Corniworld)
