Composer Liz Lane has created a brass band arrangement of a version of 'We Wish you a Merry Christmas' by award winning Ukrainian composer Halyna Ovcharenko.

It's free to download with donations going to the Ukrainian charity 'Help Orphans Affected by War' (Bright Kids/Global Giving).

The piece has been made as easy to play as possible — written for Youth/Fourth Section level with flexible instrumentation (minimum 5 cornets, flugel, tenor horn, baritone, trombone, euphonium, Eb bass, glockenspiel).

UK/Ukraine link

Halyna wrote the arrangement for her pupil Avi and his mum Abi to play, and was one of a series of piano duets to raise money for the charity. She has lived in the UK since studying for her PhD at Bristol University, although most of her family live in Ukraine.

Liz told 4BR: "I saw the video of Avi and Abi's performance of 'We Wish you a Merry Christmas' on Facebook last week.

Jack Stamp, Grimethorpe's International Composer in Association, recently asked me if I had a Christmas arrangement the band might play for their holiday concert he was conducting in December and this seemed the perfect choice.

I'm hoping it will appeal to bands of all levels, and there will be a spare slot in Christmas programmes and carol play-outs to help raise money for Ukrainian orphans this Christmas."

Charitable trust

Liz has known Halyna since they both wrote works for the London Children's Ballet. They met up again last weekend, when she brought Liz up to date with how things are for her family in Ukraine and how she hoped to create a charitable trust for young Ukrainian musicians and artists.

Download and donate

We Wish You a Merry Christmas score and parts can be downloaded from https://bit.ly/WWYaMC22

Donations can be made to:
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/ukraine-help-orphans-affected-by-war/donate

To see more of Halyna's work and find out about her other arrangements for the charity, go to www.halynaovcharenko.com