Bass Clef Quartets at Christmas: 25 Christmas Carols for Bass Quartet (arr. David Heyes)

About the Book

This wonderful collection of 25 Christmas Carols from across the centuries is perfect to perform in a concert, church service or simply to play at home with friends. Aimed at the intermediate bass quartet and remaining in bass clef throughout, there is something to suit most tastes in timeless music from throughout the world.

The melodic interest is divided between all four basses in Numbers 1-17, enabling each bassist to play a small part of these wonderful Christmas melodies, and Numbers 18-25 are more choral (SATB) in nature. The accompaniments are colorful and inventive and the collection features both popular and lesser-known Carols in a range of popular and accessible styles and idioms.

The edition includes a score and all parts.

1. English Folk Carol - The Holly and the Ivy
2. Franz Gruber (1818) - Silent Night
3. English Christmas Carol - Coventry Carol
4. Peter Cornelius - The Three Kings
5. Traditional - Good King Wenceslas
6. English Folk Song - What Child is This?
7. German Melody (1838) - As with Gladness Men of Old
8. John Henry Hopkins (1857) - We Three Kings of Orient Are
9. Old English - The Golden Carol of Melchior, Balthazar and Caspar
10. English Folk Carol - As I Sat on a Sunny Bank
11. Traditional Christmas Carol - In Dulci Jubilo
12. German Christmas Song - O Christmas Tree
13. English Traditional Carol - God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
14. English Christmas Carol/Mendelssohn - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
15. English Christmas Carol - The First Nowell
16. Lowell Mason (1848) - Joy to the World
17. Mykola Leontovych - Carol of the Bells
18. American Christmas Carol - It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
19. English Christmas Carol - Good Christian Men, Rejoice
20. Traditional English Carol - The Wassail Song
21. American Christmas Carol - We Three Kings of Orient Are
22. English Christmas Carol - I Saw Three Ships
23. Old English Christmas Carol - O Come, All Ye Faithful
24. Traditional Carol - Masters in this Hall
25. Advent Hymn - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Performance Notes

The Carols are generally quite short and succinct and can be repeated a number of times, varying the dynamics or articulations, with a possible change of parts if playing from the score.

Remember to carefully balance the accompaniment to the melody and the careful use of easy harmonics and pizzicato has been used to help to create clear textures when all four players remain in bass clef.

Some accompaniments could be played tremolando or sul ponticello, even col legno, to display a wealth of colors and textures and to bring new thinking and ideas to these wonderfully evocative and well-loved melodies.

The melody can be played unaccompanied occasionally, or the accompaniment played without the melody, helping to portray different soundscapes and the possibilities for musical exploration are endless.

About the Arranger

David Heyes studied double bass with Laurence Gray and Bronwen Naish, later at the Royal College of Music in London, and completed his post- graduate studies in Prague with František Pošta (Principal Bass, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra).

He has given recitals and masterclasses in 20 countries over the past few years and has been a juror at a number of international competitions, three times as chairman. David's collaborative work gained him a prestigious award from the David Walter Charitable Trust of New York for his pioneering activities as a soloist, teacher, publisher, and commissioner of new music for double bass and he works with composers throughout the world to expand the double bass repertoire by commissioning new music and by rediscovering forgotten ones. Since 1983 more than 750 works have been written for him, music from one to twenty basses and from beginner to virtuoso, and he has premiered ten contemporary concertos with orchestra.

David began to compose in 2013 and has had music performed and recorded in 35 countries across five continents. He is a D'Addario Performing Artist, has recently commissioned a solo double bass from British master-luthier Martin Penning, and in 2025 was awarded a Fellowship from Victoria College of Music & Drama (London).