It’s always a challenge to write arrangements of well known Christmas carols, mostly because there have been so many examples. In time I thought I would give it a try and set some of my favorites. The result was a suite of three carols which I found not only musically contrasting, but also capable of being set for solo piano.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen — which opens the suite — is the most technically difficult: starting out quietly, slowly building to a modulation, and then a grand finish in the style of Liszt.

Silent Night is contemplative in nature, taking the melody which is so well known and harmonically setting it in an unexpected way. Good King Wenceslas is one of the oldest carols, a tune going back to 1582. It’s set more or less in a march style with the tune repeated and each time with a different accompaniment.

– Joseph Turrin