At this year’s Christmas Concert, the program accidentally included the lyrics to “Joy to the World.”  In the past, my students have played it as a singalong for the audience, but we haven’t done so in a few years.  I’m not sure why the lyrics got included in the program, but I briefly contemplated “winging it” and shouting the chords at my students while everyone sang.

I did not give into that temptation.  One that I have learned is that other people’s errors do not necessitate me fixing them in haphazard ways (usually).  We simply announced there was a mistake in the program and went on from there.

That said, the larger mistake was, indeed, mine—I should have put it in the Christmas Concert!  I love “Joy to the World,” and it’s really fun to play and sing.  I suppose next year I’ll have to toss it into the mix.

With that, here is 12 December 2024’s “TBT^2: Joy to the World“:

Read More »

Tomorrow my students have their annual Christmas concert.  Neither of my Ensembles are performing “Joy to the World” this year, but it remains one of my favorites.  I love its rollicking and robust melody, which seems to charge forth, first with that delicious downward D major scale, and then it’s jaunty, bouncy return back up the scale in leaps.

I’ll have to dust this one off for next year’s concert, and I will certainly be playing it at church (if I have not already done so by the time this post publishes).  It’s one of the best to belt out with a room full of people.

With that, here is 14 December 2023’s “TBT: Joy to the World“:

Read More »