Carol of the Bells is a wonderful Christmas carol with a characteristic ostinato and isorhythmic emulation of chiming bells. You can hear the original choral version (in English at least) in ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ and ‘Home Alone’. This arrangement for flute quartet is almost an exact transcription of the original four-part vocal score.
It works particularly quickly and easily for a student ensemble because of the lack of rhythmic counterpoint and the alluring ostinato that ties the piece together structurally.
