Patapan

Patapan is a French carol attributed to Bernard de la Monnoye who lived from 1641–1728. The title refers to the beating of a drum, and the lyrics also mention other instruments (pipes, fife, and flute). As with many Christmas tunes, “Patapan” reflects the joyous union of Christmas music with dance, as the lyrics express, “when you play your fife and drum, how can anyone be glum?” The melody is complimented in this arrangement by the use of a lyrical folk song also used by Tchaikovsky in his “1812 Overture.” This arrangement for saxophone quartet, rather than favoring a soprano solo with accompaniment, strives to include all of the players by distributing the melodic material. In addition, all dynamics and articulations should be taken as suggestions only, as performers are encouraged to make their own interpretations. Arranged for saxophone quartet (SATBar).