Blog Post One

Patapan Fantasy for clarinet quartet

Thanks for stopping by, and welcome to my blog! In my first-ever blog post, I choose to write about my most recent arrangement for Craig Music Publishers: a clarinet quartet medley that transforms the traditional French carol "Patapan" into an imaginative "Patapan Fantasy," incorporating beloved Christmas songs like God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, Joy to the World, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, We Three Kings of Orient Are, and Good King Wenceslas, representing holiday music from the Czech Republic, England, France, and the United States.

What’s your favorite Christmas carol? Is it tied in with your cultural heritage? I would love to hear about it. Tell me in the comments below. My inspiration for choosing this particular carol stems from its use of a minor key, which sets it apart from most holiday tunes. I find that very appealing. Additionally, my inspiration comes from legendary British musical actress Dame Julie Andrews. Growing up in Dallas, Texas, my parents were members of both the Columbia Music Record Club and the RCA Music Record Club. Therefore, they collected quite a few LPs in their time, particularly the popular music of the day, which they shared with their two children. We grew up listening to Mary Poppins, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Sound of Music —a personal favorite —and many other classic film soundtracks.

In the 1960s and 1970s, this included musicals and vocal albums from celebrities, like Dame Julie. One year, my parents received a new holiday album called Christmas With Julie Andrews. This LP included a track of the French carol “Patapan,” which I had never heard before. Upon hearing it, I immediately fell in love again with Dame Julie’s pure, gorgeous, velvety tones, which continue to enchant me these many years later. Recalling this tune from my initial impression inspired me to create a medley based on this enchanting melody.

I am fascinated by the idea of a drone, or repeating pattern in music, as it can often serve a unifying purpose, such as tying multiple tunes together with a single unifying theme, somewhat like Hector Berlioz and his idée fixe in his symphonic masterpiece, Symphony Fantastique, a personal favorite of mine. Although I am not quite the master composer that Berlioz was, I proudly take my inspiration from this legendary, if ascerbic, French composer. Therefore, I employ a simple drone in this medley, and the other carols I chose to use meld nicely with this ongoing theme and reward us with a lovely medley of holiday tunes, exciting to play, and one that’s sure to bring a touch of European charm to your festive holiday celebrations.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my blog. I hope you enjoyed my musings on music. I’ll be back next week with more anecdotes, memories, and passions for music. In the meantime, you can listen to my arrangement of the Patapan Fantasy by clicking the thumbnail below, or check out my YouTube Channel score-following video by clicking here, and then stop by my store to purchase this arrangement. Did you like Patapan Fantasy? If so, tell me your thoughts about it in the comments below. See you in the next blog, and have a great week!

17 October 2025

Here is an MP3 of my clarinet quartet arrangement of the Patapan Fantasy