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SKU: A0.1892301
By Brian McKnight. By Kim Gannon and Walter Kent. Arranged by John Hoesly. This edition: pdf. Christmas, Pop, Standards. 89 pages. PRS&B #1450868. Published by PRS&B (A0.1892301).I’ll Be Home For Christmas- for Flex Ensemble. Written in 1943 by Gannon and Kent and first recorded by Bing Crosby, this song originally was conceived as a tune about an overseas soldier longing to be home with his family for Christmas. It has since become a Christmas standard and is a great sentimental feature for any holiday concert. Intermediate level.
Description of a Flex Ensemble
A flex ensemble is a small, flexible instrumentation group that performs music adapted to work with a reduced or unbalanced lineup of instruments. The term “flex” refers to the ability of the ensemble to mix and match players from different sections (woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings) to create a balanced sound, often using only 4–6 parts
How It Works; Flex arrangements are scored for a core set of five or six “voices” with parts written in the correct key and clef for a range of instruments. For example:
Soprano voice: flute, clarinet, oboe, trumpet, alto sax, violin
Alto voice: clarinet, trumpet, alto sax, alto clarinet, tenor sax, horn, violin, viola
Tenor voice: trombone, euphonium, horn, tenor sax, bassoon, cello
Bass voice: tuba, euphonium, trombone, bassoon, bass clarinet, baritone sax, cello, double bass.
Directors assign instruments to voices based on their ensemble’s strengths and available players.
Purpose and Benefits:
Adapts to small or incomplete ensembles
Encourages chamber-like playing
Expands repertoire
Supports varied instrumentation (works with woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion, often with optional percussion parts)
Arrangement Formats
Flex arrangements: Require at least 4–6 instruments
Adaptable arrangements: Allowing any 4-6 instruments to be assigned to the 4-6 parts, making them ideal for sectional rehearsals or unusual instrumentation
In short, a flex ensemble is a versatile, small-group performance format that preserves the richness of fully orchestrated music while accommodating smaller or mixed instrumentation through flexible voicing and orchestration.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.
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