5 Essential Pieces from Bach to 2025 💫 🎷
Christmas music for wind instruments has accompanied the holiday season for centuries, from Baroque sacred works to contemporary jazz and soul. At Odisei Music, we present five essential Christmas music recommendations that highlight the expressive power of wind instruments, spanning from Johann Sebastian Bach to the most recent releases of 2025. This curated selection combines tradition, innovation, and local Catalan artistry, perfect for musicians, enthusiasts, and anyone who loves the festive season.
1. Bach and the Birth of Christmas Music for Wind Instruments.
Johann Sebastian Bach – Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248
Before the clarinet or saxophone existed, Johann Sebastian Bach had already defined much of the European Christmas soundscape. His Christmas Oratorio, composed in Leipzig in 1734–1735, is a cycle of six cantatas celebrating the Nativity.
Far from solemn, the Oratorio is full of light, optimism, and vital energy, with rich orchestration featuring trumpets, oboes, and flutes. This work remains a benchmark in classical Christmas music and a testament to the early use of wind instruments in sacred festive repertoire.
2. Tchaikovsky’s Magical Christmas Ballet
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (Act II: Pas de deux)
No Christmas music list is complete without The Nutcracker. Premiered in 1892, Tchaikovsky’s score gradually became a global symbol of the holiday season.
The Pas de deux from Act II showcases lyrical wind passages alongside strings, blending elegance, emotion, and fantasy. Its orchestration highlights how woodwinds and brass create the magical atmosphere we now associate with Christmas.
3. Catalan Tradition Meets Contemporary Winds
El cant dels ocells – Bernat Vivancos / Kebyart & Nicolas Altstaedt
“El cant dels ocells” (Song of the Birds) is a traditional Catalan Christmas carol, internationally popularized by Pau Casals. In 2025, Kebyart Quartet and cellist Nicolas Altstaedt present a new arrangement by Bernat Vivancos, celebrating both tradition and innovation.
This piece uses serene harmonies and delicate wind instrument textures to evoke nature, peace, and the joy of Christmas, bridging classical and contemporary wind music.
4. Soulful Christmas with Modern Winds
White Christmas– Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Released in 2014, this soulful holiday song combines festive joy with realism. Its vintage 1960s Motown-style instrumentation incorporates horn sections and wind arrangements, demonstrating how wind instruments enrich modern Christmas music.
This track exemplifies how contemporary artists can blend the warmth of analog sound with honest storytelling, keeping the holiday repertoire fresh and emotionally resonant.
5. Jazz Christmas Today: Barcelona 2025
Jingle Bells – Joan Chamorro & Sant Andreu Reunion Band
In the 2025 album Christmas Songbook, Joan Chamorro revisits classics like Jingle Bells through jazz, with arrangements by Joan Martí. Featuring the Sant Andreu Reunion Band and singer Clàudia Rostey, this album emphasizes wind instruments in a modern jazz context, preserving the festive spirit while appealing to new audiences.
This project shows that Christmas jazz is alive and evolving, continuing the centuries-old dialogue between tradition and innovation in wind music.
Celebrate Christmas Through Wind Instruments
From Bach’s Baroque brilliance to contemporary jazz and soul, these pieces show how wind instruments have gently shaped the sound of Christmas through the centuries. Whether you are a musician, student, or simply a curious listener, letting these works accompany you can fill the festive season with warmth, light, and a quiet sense of joy.
Merry Christmas!
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Viel Spaß beim Lesen!
Odisei Musik Team
