This lesser known holiday-season standard by the great Irving Berlin is available here for 4 Trombones and Rhythm section. This ballad had its debut in the classic film “White Christmas” with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney.

This arrangement was written as a “Head” chart where, after the initial rundown of the melody, the form is repeated for as many soloists as are desired before a final repeat playing the tune and proceeding to the second ending. Chord changes are provided in all parts for flexibility in soloist selection.

For the most part, the ensemble parts are accessible to a broad range of playing abilities, but the top part is the greater challenge for range and melodic lyricism.

Performance options: This ballad runs the risk of dragging along so slowly that it feels interminable. Even at a moderately slow tempo, it’s important to keep things moving. If it feels that the solo section takes too long, it also works well to bring the ensemble back at the “B” section of the melody (meas. 21) for a briefer wrap up.