Mary’s Boy Child • SATB Mixed Choir & Piano • Christmas • Jester Hairston, arr. M. Ryan Taylor
Jester Hairston’s beloved Christmas spiritual “Mary’s Boy Child” receives a fresh, energetic setting for SATB mixed choir and piano by M. Ryan Taylor. With its infectious Caribbean rhythmic character, memorable melody, and joyful celebration of Christ’s birth, this arrangement brings the warmth and vitality of the spiritual into the modern concert choir.
The arrangement opens with a clear presentation of the familiar melody before building into increasingly full choral textures. The piano accompaniment provides a strong rhythmic foundation while the voices move between unison and harmonized passages, allowing the character of the original song to remain front and center. The result is a setting that is both immediately recognizable and satisfying to perform.
At approximately two minutes, Mary’s Boy Child is an excellent choice for a Christmas concert, holiday program, or encore—especially when a choir needs something joyful, rhythmic, and accessible to balance more contemplative seasonal repertoire.
Jester Hairston was one of the most influential arrangers and champions of African American spirituals and choral music in the twentieth century. His original composition Mary’s Boy Child has become a Christmas favorite, and this new arrangement seeks to preserve its distinctive character while giving mixed choirs a fresh concert setting.
Instrumentation: SATB Mixed Choir with Piano Accompaniment
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: Approximately 2:10
Language: English
Genre: Christmas / Spiritual
Composer: Jester Hairston
Arranger: M. Ryan Taylor
Copyright: © 2025 NILS-GEORGS MUSIKFÖRLAGS AB
Performance Recordings Welcome
Has your choir performed Mary’s Boy Child? I would love to hear it! Performers are invited to share recordings, photos, concert programs, and performance links. With your permission, selected material may be used to help promote both your ensemble and this arrangement. Send files or links to ryan@choirworks.com.