PAUL O’NEILL AND ROBERT KINKEL WIZARDS IN WINTER
arranged for percussion ensemble by Brian Flack
WIZARDS IN WINTER
Words and Music PAUL O’NEILL and ROBERT KINKEL
Copyright © 2004 WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP., PAUL O’NEILL PUBLISHING and ROBERT STELLAR PUBLISHING
All Rights Administered by WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.
This Arrangement © 2024 WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP., PAUL O’NEILL PUBLISHING and ROBERT STELLAR PUBLISHING
All Rights Reserved Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC tapspace.com
Notice of Liability: Any duplication, adaptation, or arrangement of this composition requires the written consent of the copyright owner. No part of this composition may be photocopied or reproduced in any way without permission. Unauthorized uses are an infringement of the U.S. Copyright Act and are punishable by law.
TSPCE24-024
PROGRAM NOTES
Wizards in Winter by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, arranged for percussion ensemble, presents a thrilling reinterpretation of the original symphonic rock masterpiece. Retaining the electrifying energy and memorable melodies of the original composition, this arrangement showcases the versatility and soundscape of traditional percussion instruments.
Written in 2004, Wizards in Winter gained fame by appearing in a viral Christmas video created by Carson Williams. Mr. Williams spent about two months setting up over 16,000 lights in his front yard, driveway, windows, and roof of his house. Passersby could then tune their radios to a local FM radio station and hear Wizards in Winter as it synced to the light show currently playing. The song went on to gain popularity by appearing in different commercials ranging from beverage companies to Tesla Motors. Even Disney used the piece for a segment of its spectacular fountain and light show, World of Color – Season of Light, featuring Goofy putting up his Christmas lights to the track.
Throughout this performance of Wizards in Winter, the ensemble maintains a relentless energy that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. Each section of the ensemble works in harmony to deliver a cohesive and dynamic interpretation of the music, captivating listeners with its precision and power. This arrangement is sure to be the highlight of your holiday performance!
Brian Flack
PERFORMANCE NOTES
While arranged for a relatively large ensemble, the instrumentation for Wizards in Winter can be easily adapted to suit your ensemble’s needs. Keyboard parts may be doubled or tripled as necessary to accommodate larger ensembles. Alternately, the piece may be performed by as few as ten players by omitting certain parts.
• The xylophone part should be played by a more experienced player due to its difficulty and placement in the ensemble setup.
• Marimba 1 and 2 parts can be played on the same instrument. In measure 101, marimba 2 should quickly move behind marimba 1 during the measure of rest and re-enter on the upper part of the instrument while marimba 1 finishes the piece on the lower part of the marimba.
• The marimba 2 part offers some flexibility to adapt to different ability levels. Both options below require playing octave double stops, but option 2 limits the movement around the keyboard while playing octaves.
Option 1: More experienced players should play octave double stops (where noted in the score) by adding the left hand an octave lower than written and by playing the optional notes (mm. 23 and 51). Do not add any notes where it says “(as written)” in the music.
Option 2: Less experienced players may play the part as written throughout (ignoring the notes about adding the left hand) and omitting the optional notes. This option works best when the optional marimba 3 part is being covered.
• The marimba 3 part was tailored for a less experienced mallet player and can be omitted.
PLAYERS AND INSTRUMENTATION
Wizards in Winter requires 10-13+ players with the following instrumentation:
1. Crotales* (2 octaves)
2. Chimes*
3. Glockenspiel
4. Vibraphone 1
5. Vibraphone 2
6. Xylophone
7. Marimba 1 (share w/ M2)
8. Marimba 2 (low A)
9. Marimba 3* (low A)
10. 4 Timpani
11. Drumset
12. Percussion 1 — sleigh bells, bass drum, tam-tam
13. Percussion 2 — suspended cymbal, China cymbal, sleigh bells (share w/ P1), mark tree, triangle
*optional
SUGGESTED SETUP
Level: Med-Easy
Approx. playing time: 3'00"
