A Christmas Tale Sheet Music Preview

A Christmas Tale: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Beware the Krampus -- for Narrator and Band

By Randall D. Standridge

Grade: 2.5 (Medium Easy)

Item: 00-PK-0007212

Digital Download
makemusic Cloud badge
$65.00

Parts Added to Cart!

Description
In some European Christmas traditions, Saint Nick (Santa Claus) does not work alone. He travels with the "Krampus," a "Christmas Devil" who doles out punishment to bad boys and girls on Christmas Eve. This work serves as a darkly delightful Christmas piece, intended to educate, entertain, and creep out your audience. The poem "Beware the Krampus" (written by the composer) helps frame the piece as familiar carols "The Ukranian Bell Carol," "Up on the Housetop," "Jolly Old St. Nicholas," and other holiday favorites are distorted. (4:50) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Sample Audio
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series: Young Symphonic
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 292
SKU: 00-PK-0007212
Complete Instrumentation

All Parts for “A Christmas Tale” — Concert Band

This Grade: 2½ (Medium Easy) Concert Band arrangement by Randall D. Standridge includes a conductor score and a complete set of digital parts. Every individual part below is available as a separate PDF download.

Need the whole chart? The Conductor Score & Parts includes the score plus all 24 parts (quantities vary by section). Buying a full ensemble is cheaper as a set than part-by-part.
Composer Randall D. Standridge
Grade / Level Grade: 2½ (Medium Easy)
Ensemble Concert Band
Individual Parts 24 + Score

Frequently asked questions

What instruments are included in “A Christmas Tale”?

This Concert Band arrangement includes 24 individual parts: Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, 1st B-flat Clarinet, 2nd B-flat Clarinet, B-flat Bass Clarinet, E-flat Alto Saxophone, 2nd E-flat Alto Saxophone, B-flat Tenor Saxophone, E-flat Baritone Saxophone, 1st B-flat Trumpet, 2nd B-flat Trumpet, 1st F Horn, 1st Trombone, 2nd Trombone, Baritone T.C., Baritone B.C., Tuba, Mallets, 2nd Mallet Percussion, 1st Percussion, 2nd Percussion, Timpani, Narrator. A conductor score is also available separately.

Can I buy a single instrument part instead of the full set?

Yes. Every individual instrument part is available as a separate PDF download for $3.00. This is perfect for replacing a misplaced page or adding extra stands for your section without purchasing the complete set.

What grade level is “A Christmas Tale”?

“A Christmas Tale” is rated Grade: 2½ (Medium Easy), written for Concert Band.

How many copies of each part come with the full set?

The full set includes the following quantities:

Part Copies
Conductor Score 1
Flute 10
Oboe 2
Bassoon 2
1st B-flat Clarinet 6
2nd B-flat Clarinet 6
B-flat Bass Clarinet 2
E-flat Alto Saxophone 2
2nd E-flat Alto Saxophone 2
B-flat Tenor Saxophone 2
E-flat Baritone Saxophone 1
1st B-flat Trumpet 4
2nd B-flat Trumpet 4
1st F Horn 2
1st Trombone 3
2nd Trombone 3
Baritone T.C. 1
Baritone B.C. 2
Tuba 4
Mallets 2
2nd Mallet Percussion 2
1st Percussion 4
2nd Percussion 5
Timpani 1
Narrator 1
How are the parts delivered?

Individual parts are available as instant PDF downloads that you can print as many times as you need. The complete set (A Christmas Tale: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts) includes the conductor score and all parts as PDF downloads.

You May Also Like

From the bandroom

Messages About This Piece from Our Community

Real reactions from the players, directors & students who love A Christmas Tale.

O
@official.raidshadowlegends YouTube

This one girl went so hard with the screaming part after our band director told us to scare little kids she actually lost her voice the next day. It was an amazing experience

E
@esparttt YouTube

It's really fun to scream as hard as I can at my parts too.

Y
@yamaicewing123 YouTube

We played this in our Christmas concert last year, and some of the kids in the audience were crying XD

O
@oliverboswell8859 YouTube

I remember playing this in band as a low brass player and my band director screaming at us "BE LOUD BE NASTY BE KRAMPUS!"

K
@katherinesoenen6280 YouTube

My school band is playing this song for our Christmas concert. Everyone in my band loves playing it. A boy in my band has the perfect high pitch girl scream.

J
@josteakehigashikata6788 YouTube

I was at a winter concert (my band was going to play next, but the 7th grade was playing at the moment), and I was absolutely astounded by how well the music was played. The principal wore a Krampus costume to read the voice lines, and it was simply an amazing performance. Love this song.

R
@rolanslide8509 YouTube

I think this was the most fun me (and my band classmates) have had with a song in the past three years. This was a BLAST to do

E
@emanuelmartinez1403 YouTube

We played this song at our concert and it was so much fun. Our band got excited every time we played this song in practice. The bass clarinet part is the best part.

P
@ProfessionalDweller YouTube

Our band did death whistle shrieks, shout-out to the one guy who could do them without the actual whistle. He carried hard ngl

T
@the_realpapajohn YouTube

Man the Bass Clarinet part is so rad in the first 8 measures, I love 8 measures of non-stop playing.

C
@connorwadkins7 YouTube

As a trombone player this is an amazing and fun song to play

S
@skzalhatzp1h YouTube

My director showed us this piece and we were talking since we can't have a concert we would record it as a quick Christmas special. One of the trombone players has a deep voice so he would be the narrator, then we said that the trombone player could chase around the trumpet player (who does the girl screams 😂 [Daniel, a guy]) at the end. I seriously love band.

T
@TheJazziestNightwood YouTube

Played this for my 2023 Christmas Concert, I was on the baritone sax it was really enjoyable to play loud and nasty on it :D

K
@Kin-x1l YouTube

The Tuba and Bass Clarinet at the beginning tho 😮‍♨ Gave me chills they sounded so cool together! ❤

B
@butter503 YouTube

We're playing this for our concert this year. We have the perfect narrator and one of our trumpets has the perfect blood-curdling scream. It's so fun to play!

H
@hannahg1158 YouTube

We are playing it for my marching band winter concert and the directors said we're going to have screaming auditions for the screaming parts 😂 like I kinda want to sneak into the band room to listen to everyone auditioning screaming 😂

S
@Shae.nanigans16 YouTube

In our band, the narrator is gonna be a girl with this super creepy high-pitched voice instead. Also, as a clarinet player, measure seventeen (clarinets and altos know what I'm talking about) killed us when we first started playing.

O
@omgimanowl7888 YouTube

We are playing this for my winter concert in band and I'm ecstatic Edit: And I get to do the scream!!! Edit 2: Ok um I felt like I was going to pass out when I did the screams (3 blood-curdling ones)

S
@squeegeeandcrew8619 YouTube

I played the French Horn for this piece at my school Christmas concert, and it was really an enjoyable part. It felt good to have the melodies and harmonies tied together so perfectly! It's really a great learning piece that I highly recommend! Also, we made some kids in the room cry, so that's always a bonus

A
@Adam-History310 YouTube

I'm very happy to be playing this at our Christmas concert, as a 1st trombonist, this goes crazy

T
@topbts6296 YouTube

My high school band played this song in 2020 and I had the awesome glockenspiel part. I got quarantined the day before. I shed a few tears. I love this song!!!!

A
@austintandoc8187 YouTube

We played this in our band for our Christmas concert, I played in band while also sang in choir however I played the flute for this piece. The choir group actually all screamed adding that scare factor and we had someone dressed as Krampus and Santa actually used lightsabers to pretend fighting which was funny and the audiences laughed at it.

L
@lemonfizz2897 YouTube

When I played this, I can scream so loud I've been asked if I can whistle (which I can't), and it was so much fun playing in the center downtown. Seats over 3000 and perfect for the holidays. That and our narrator had a Corpse voice (if you know who that is)

S
@stormthe7seas YouTube

We just played this song tonight and this song goes so hard, I absolutely thrived off the trombone part

L
@leo-k6m4u YouTube

I play the bass drum in this song in band and I can say this song is absolute fire

S
@sleepless_dreamin YouTube

Playing this in my sophomore year as a percussionist!! Playing the bass drum part is so much fun and it's SO intense!

T
@thebettercornet YouTube

We were rehearsing this one day and our director (at the end) says some "OH YEAH! HE'S BAD!" and half the band just lost it this song is straight FIRE

F
@forgetabtme28738 YouTube

Playing alto sax part and doing the narration! Love the piece

A
@alexiabarrett5230 YouTube

I usually don't like playing glockenspiel but this song has such fun mallet parts it's not even funny

M
@mattharrington8387 YouTube

The sleigh bells were fun to play.

T
@trombonenerd02 YouTube

I am playing this in concert band. I am a trombone player and I got to say, I enjoy playing those random glissandi.

J
@josiep6699 YouTube

This was so fun to play as trumpet! We had to change a few of the lyrics, but it was so good regardless

O
@ohiotalk1475 YouTube

My band is playing this right now. We have it mastered! Sounds so cool!

A
@acaciabrinkmann6586 YouTube

So my band has so much fun when we play this so we made it a band tradition to play it every Christmas concert. It's been going on for 6 years (that I know of)

H
@heckhonkinhonks4696 YouTube

Ooo, we just played this piece, and there's only two of us trombones, so on the glissandos, our teacher allowed us to play as loud as we wanted. I believe I popped all my lungs doing it, but it was so fun

C
@cxmedyspace YouTube

I loved playing this! As a 2nd B-flat clarinet it was really fun to play!!

P
@panko5828 YouTube

I remember doing this during 8th grade, man playing this as trombone with the last scream of the song was fun as heck

J
@JchnnyCxde YouTube

So my band director wants us to do this song this Christmas. We did this once a few years ago, and he had the idea of having somebody that was tall and small to dress as said Krampus and go around the audience to scare kids. We're a small band but we made superior not long ago. Btw I do bass/contrabass clarinet.

C
@carleenmiyamoto8314 YouTube

I play the bass drum for this and I know you can't hear the bass in this recording but OH MY GOSH I played mine so hard last night that I REALLY got into this song. LOL. Now I'm sad that we can't play this song anymore. :'((( In the piece above, I'm considered as percussion 2 and at measure 109 and 113 I get to play EIGHTH NOTES!! Aghhhhhh!! I've obviously played eighth notes before but OH MY GOSH I've never loved them as much as I have last night. LOL

P
@prettysaxy YouTube

My band is playing this! I love this piece so much, it's mysterious. HORNS FTW! ❤️

Recognized across the music industry

Print Music Publisher of the Year
MMR: Musical Merchandise Review Dealers' Choice Award winner, 2023 & 2024
Solid preparation with outstanding results.
Betty Sutton, Clavier Companion Reviewing Alfred's Premier Piano Course
A dream-come-true method for beginning concert band and string orchestra.
John Kuzmich, Jr., Band Director Reviewing Sound Innovations
Best Tools for Schools Award
SBO: School Band & Orchestra Magazine Presented at The NAMM Show, 2017
It's stood the test of time, and I've personally seen it get results.
Allysia, PianoTV.net Reviewing Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course