O Little Town of Bethlehem

Add a little variety to your trumpet Christmas music program with this original arrangement of O Little Town of Bethlehem. This trumpet trio version of the popular Christmas carol begins with tag team duets for the first verse (in the key of F/E flat concert). Then there is an interlude going into the second verse, which is reharmonized in the relative minor (D/C concert minor). The last chord of the second verse is D7 which is used for a quick modulation to G/F concert in the last verse. There is an amen tag at the end. The tag team duets in the first verse are meant to give the players a chance to rest. This is the type of arrangement that is appropriate for Christmas gigs. The problem with trumpet trios is that many arrangements dont include resting time. This is especially true with Christmas carols. This can lead to too much down time between songs. The tag team duets help add a little variety to the texture of the arrangement while also giving the players an opportunity to rest. The most interesting verse in this arrangement is the middle verse, in the relative minor key. It has a reverent sound with a little more dissonance than in major. The only section that didnt work in minor is in the third phrase of the Christmas carol. So we barrowed back from the major (D major) for three bars before returning to the minor key again.