Silent Night

How do you find the way "in" to a new arrangement of a piece that is this well known (and loved) by most everyone around the globe?

That is a good question. I haven't answered it yet!

It was my goal to have my arrangement of Silent Night for our upcoming tour in the States finished by the end of this week. Here it is, Friday, and I have 7 recordings I have been listening to, 5 printed versions on which I have analyzed the harmonic structures, and one jazz version I have transcribed.

Now, to be fair, I have written some - I just figure it is all rubbish! Maybe you have to get the rubbish out before the good stuff appears on the page???

The dilemma is how to strike the balance between new and traditional. Silent Night is not so famous for no reason, it is an amazing beautiful tune. (Not an easy tune, either, as it turns out!) So you want to be respectful of the tune itself and how it is commonly known, while presenting it in a new packaging. Sort of like receiving a present of a picture you have owned for a very long time, only now it has been properly matted and framed, and is hung with lights - you see and appreciate the picture in a whole new way.

Ah! Such lofty goals!!! Maybe I should just start with "writing something" and see where I go from there!!!