And time constraints have made this the second and last XAR for this year, so I chose my favorite instrumentation to write for: Mallet Choir. The song is The Holly and the Ivy, another traditional English carol. From England. The piece builds to a fast, light, happy rendition that follows the original arrangement pretty closely, with rhythmic support under the melody. The B section switches to a minor key and ups the rhythmic support, and comes back around to the A section again, switching back to major and coming to and end with a call and response theme between each instrument. For you - now - here is: The Holly and the Ivy!

The Holly and the Ivy (mallet choir)