The Eighth Candle Arr. Steve Reisteter

This arrangement of common Hanukkah folk themes is one of the most prominent holiday works for band today. I hope you enjoy this cool and exciting piece :-) Performed by the US Coast Guard Band.

[@seattlegrobanite]

Yeah but once you get the hang of it it's such an incredible song to play. Out of all the songs I played in my eight years of band, this one was one of my all-time favorites. Wish I hadn't lost the sheet music to it...

[@agarprime5538]

6:58 just absolutely SLAPS

[@pigeon4422]

the tambourine for that part was so fun didn't know tambourine could be that fun lol

[@allriasvylen8257]

Rest in pieces all 3rd trombone parts. You shall be missed.

[@KingKangus]

I’m playing this in my band and this song makes the bassoon feel cool

[@benrichards666]

the bassoon part is great

[@maxtherealone5491]

The timpini part is way cooler 😎

[@megastarwarsrocks99]

Bassoon was always cool

[@ninjameerkat77]

the sixteenth note 5/8 section for low brass absolutely kills me

[@malamutehunter]

tori hood it's bad for clarinets too. I've got every part down except for those damn sixteenth notes.

[@Kiwaloayo]

Alexander Gudschinsky I'm quite literally the only clarinet in my ensemble that plays it well and cleanly. I never thought I'd say this but my three or whatever days on oboe has really helped lol.

[@malamutehunter]

Kidreo I've never played oboe, but it doesn't look too difficult. Just need a double lip embouchure and different key fingerings right?

[@Kiwaloayo]

Alexander Gudschinsky it's not that it's super difficult, but it takes a ton of stamina when you first start playing. my lips hurt so much after sustained notes of four beats, and it requires so much air. it's not a hard instrument to learn, but it's a hard instrument to play for long durations when starting on it. of course, I've only played it for nearly two weeks...

[@Kiwaloayo]

Alexander Gudschinsky also, going from clarinet to oboe is confusing at first because the oboe has some special fingerings.

[@meganlong8934]

I played this piece when I was in high school and it still stands as my all time favorite. The piccolo part was insane and so much fun to learn!

[@Anna-qm5gl]

Megan Long My concert is in a few weeks and I'm playing the piccolo part for this :D

[@meganlong8934]

I hope it went well! I still whip out the concert picc every once in a while and play back through it!

[@venicetaylor1448]

Megan Long hey do you still continue to play it?

[@TMang0]

I’m playing the Picc part for my band, the 16th note runs keep getting to me 😅😢

[@nubman41]

5/8 time signature will never leave my head

[@FamilyGuy12693]

This is absolutely brilliant. The way it goes from slow to intense is completely seamless, and I forget that they are the same piece many times.

[@drdave8009]

+1 on absolutely brilliant.

[@colorguard1001]

The flute part was hell. I can tell you i wasn't even able to play some parts even in first chair . No one could play the the high notes or the fast part of the 16th notes.

[@helenwilbur1829]

playing this in my high school band, and let me tell you, this peice will be the death of me. I have first flute part and the 16th notes make me so mad. there's maybe two people out of all the flutes who can actually play the whole peice, and im not one of them. I love this song though, it gives me goosebumps. I just wish I got 2nd part.

[@friendlyhatespeech3300]

lol we (trumpets got it easy

[@Kiwaloayo]

Daisy Wade yes you do, I've seen your parts lol, sadly after third, not counting fifth, chair, my school's trumpets lose their talent and cannot for the life of them play correctly. I don't know how some of them are in a wind ensemble to be honest.

[@friendlyhatespeech3300]

Kidreo I have the same issue in my band.

[@Kiwaloayo]

Yeah they, as well as saxes and flutes, ruined our performance.

[@friendlyhatespeech3300]

+Kidreo our flutes and saxophones were pretty good, save for a few complex parts. For us it was more of the clarinets and the Oboe solo.

[@willhigginbotham2210]

that french horn part got me like

[@nathanmcmahon8144]

That's what I'm sayin lol

[@TheGuitarmanDK2]

I think this might be my favorite timpani part I've ever played. Measure 199 to the end is so awesome.

[@benjamingore2720]

It is so Fun

[@maxtherealone5491]

Timpini part is clearly the best part of this song

[@Krumpulous]

I've played this tune on other parts throughout my 15+ years of percussion playing, but I've never had the pleasure of playing the timpani until now. I'm two rehearsals out from the concert and feeling great about the part. I continue to practice the second half of the piece at a slow tempo and at the written tempo to really solidify the syncopation from the 4/4 &3/4 to 5/8 and so on.

[@elcabbage2306]

Ooh, it does sound pretty. Can't wait to play it tomorrow :D bassoon for the win

[@eltigre0320]

+Gabe Grothaus the solo at the beginning is a doozy. The pianissimo is very difficult to fully achieve.

[@elcabbage2306]

+eltigre0320 it was pretty difficult, but I think it was one of the most beautiful I've ever played, it's up there with Bruée 1 :)

[@eltigre0320]

Glad to hear it went well.

[@venicetaylor1448]

eltigre0320 are you still alive

[@user-vn3vh9sl8i]

@@venicetaylor1448 probably not

[@robmaster2178]

God damn people, am I the only one who enjoys the difficult time signatures? Especially how often they change, it makes reading the music fun and gives it an interesting challenge that you don't really get with 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, or 6/4

[@calebquinn256]

I do enjoy playing them and it is a challenge I agree, but holy shit does it give headaches when learning them

[@gnjoiner]

Playing 2nd clarinet on this. It is driving me crazy! Holy cow, if you ever get out of sync, it is very hard to get back with the other sections. The switching back & forth from 5/8, 6/8 & 4/4 doesn’t make things any easier, either.

[@siralonne9619]

Played this my sophomore year on Eb contrabass clarinet, (really remote/practically unknown instrument within the clarinet family, yet my school somehow had one) and it was a really nice piece! This legit kept me from giving up school because of how much I love this piece. Everyday back in high school, whenever I felt too stressed, too tired, or just didn't feel like it/wanted to give up, I would tell myself "(however many hours left till last period since I have it last) periods left till the eighth candle..." and it would always give me that bit of strength needed to pull through the day till then, nostalgic memories, even till now........

[@pigeon4422]

I'm actually obsessed like I played tambourine, bells, and chimes/tubular bells on this like 2 years ago and I still come back this was a percussion section favorite for sure

[@wadestump9748]

Jesus, the French horn rips I had were so fun!!!

[@mrdonut1533]

BEST MUSIC I HAVE EVER PLAYED. Go trumpet squad!!!

[@lilliansunshine7499]

Hannukah songs are always my favorite of the winter concert selection

[@Tahntahn100]

My band is playing this for our Christmas concert.......yyyyaaaayyyy....powers of the flutes unite!!!!!*whispers* why did I think getting first flute part was a good thing???

[@jacobahlstrand1597]

I remember this being the favorite song that I played in high school. It's just such a beautiful arrangement

[@patrickhorvat9926]

A friend of mine calls it the calculator song because of the amount of key signature switches

[@bsperoz]

John Smith me too! I'm glad my high school is onr of rhe schools that won't keep their band from play Christmas AND Hanukkah music. I'm not Jewish myself, but I know a great piece of music when I play one!

[@benjamingore2720]

I'm playing this piece for my High Schools Christmas Concert this year And I love It, the timpani piece slaps

[@caioamado1892]

Dance is at 4:38

[@shawneebowman6109]

Out of all the Christmas pieces my band is playing this is my favorite. I have the second flute part and the low notes are a killer but they are also my favorite part.

[@shellshocker6475]

This is one of my favorite tunes to play...i have had a lot of practice with 5/8 so this is easy to count for me..i remember playing a tune in 5/8 counted like 12312 12123 12312 12123 12312 and so on...that was painful ..but the harder the tune=the better the tune sounds I only got this music 3 days ago and i fricken love it

[@triggeredpossum6752]

I’m playing the clarinet part for this song n all of the r runs closer to the end legitimately make me have a stroke. It’s so good tho TT

[@lightningblood6975]

Where are my first cornet/ trumpets at

[@KevinMartinez-de6fh]

4:59 I love this part its so good

[@maloneap64]

This lovely tune was recently performed in concert by the Westside Community Band on Sunday Dec. 4 in Cincinnati, OH. The changes in meter signatures and key signatures make the Eighth Candle a real challenge to perform of the clarinet.

[@SpykerFX]

The "5/8th" candle. This was absolutely ridiculous to play >:(

[@ainsleysnyder5241]

I hate 5/8. It's difficult to count and even harder to play. I wanted to die when we played this

[@yuh-xl8sk]

@@ainsleysnyder5241same

[@proccessingunit2337]

Dude I feel that. 5/8 playing only up beats on Euphonium

[@ashtonbowen1032]

Amen

[@bribri8042]

Where my first-chair clarinets at?! 💙

[@devincalderon4919]

Here

[@biancajmr]

our band just sight-read this for the first time tonight. I was soooo looking forward to this piece. I was just at ILMEA, too, as a first chair bass clarinet on Saturday, so the beginning brings tears it's different to have a piece where the bass clarinet parts are tear-jerking but I'm definitely not complaining

[@thelowlybard]

I FOUND YOU

[@biancajmr]

BOO HISS

[@noahvriese4536]

4:46 this song really picks up

[@ryanwhitlock7350]

I never thought I'd say this, but the tambourine part makes me want to die.

[@mayam7608]

I love this song! It's my freshman year and we play this! I play the upright bass part.

[@98djmiller]

We're playing but most of the people in my band can't count the 5/8 and they play it like it's 6/8

[@ainsleysnyder5241]

Dude I feel you. There's even a kid in my band who thinks 5/8 is the same as 5/4

[@venicetaylor1448]

Dahré Miller just imagine it like it’s 3/4 but shorter than that

[@ChrisTheFlautist]

I know. When I had to play this my sophomore year in high school, I was definitely not skilled enough to. Not a fun time.

[@DarthSalohcin]

Playing this in Concert band for my winter concert this year! Have mallets and tambourine and its so fun

[@fabricwheels7028]

Our band didn’t have any official French horn players when we played this, so as a sax player I had to cover both first alto and first horn. I can confidently say that I’ve never had so much fun with instrument changes!

[@averyliz5273]

It’s a wonderful song on horn minus the 50 something measure rest which sucks the life out of you

[@alltimerejects643]

We're playing this at our Christmas concert and I can't wait. It sounds beautiful. ❤️

[@zachsplep]

Added Flash: Have the Brass stand up on the Precussion break at 7:24 and lift their bells! The rest of the Woodwinds stand at 7:54 ! It's a guaranteed standing ovation from the audience! I have done this conducting my bands, and it is now my trademark! ~ Paul Grustans

[@friedmochi]

Lol am i the only one who isn’t struggling with this piece? I hve first flute and I’m obsessed with this piece

[@paolacarrasco4375]

Cheeto Puffs :3 sameeeee

[@JacobDesselles]

Second flute, I had to fake it

[@huntergirlswag7194]

We play this this year! Bass clarinet😊

[@KolMan2000]

This piece is just incredible and the 5/8-3/4 mixed meters are incredibly well arranged. Truly a unique and beautiful piece of music and I loved playing it for my band's winter concert

[@russiaexists1499]

My school is performing this tomorrow for our winter concert and I think we sound super awesome, it’s a cool piece

[@excuses6016]

Playing this currently in high school wind ensemble and oh my god it is so cool…once we get the hang of it

[@ethang2494]

Playing this for a concert tomorrow French Horn is fun on this piece

[@dingbat1514]

Beautiful music :) I love it

[@SteveReisteter]

Thanks for posting this but it's not an arrangement of common Hanukkah folk themes. It's an original piece. It was written (in 1997) to sound like traditional Hebraic music but everything is new. That's why it doesn't say "arranged by" on the music.

[@drdave8009]

Thanks for chiming in Steve. I was captivated by this piece when I first heard it at West Park (one of your Christmas in July concerts - it may even have been the debut) and a few years after that, I bought the piece for Parkland High School, where my son was a student at the time. In Macungie Band, we play this about every other year for our holiday concerts and Mike just put it in the book last night. Now that most people in the band have played it several times, we do pretty well running down the piece on the first night. This remains one of my very favorite pieces of wind band music. Thanks for this, and thanks for standing ready to sub in our band on any reed part. About the only thing I have not seen you play is brass. You are an incredible talent.

[@bethbogue3742]

What a great piece! I just got the music for this 3 weeks ago and I love it. I'm looking forward to playing in it concert next month and hope to play it many more times in the years to come. Thank you, Mr. Reisteter.

[@SteveReisteter]

Thanks for your kind words! Where are you playing this? Please thank your band director for programming it and also thank your fellow band members for their preparation. Happy Thanksgiving (unless you're in Canada and I'm a month late)!@@bethbogue3742

[@Kiwaloayo]

I don't know how many of you will find this funny, but on my friend's bassoon part they scratched out the eighth candle and put "Pirates of the Jewribbean." I love playing the last two pages and ending on third clarinet, it's so much fun and melodic, but I feel terrible for the trombones.

[@zachwillis942]

the final page and a half is the hardest thing I've ever had to play on bass/3rd trombone in 2 plus years of wind ensemble

[@Kiwaloayo]

Zach Willis I bet man, the rhythms and jumps are complicated from what a friend of mine tells me.

[@ChizAfterHours]

We play this at our high school since it was written for the schools first director. Great piece, but a challenge.

[@will_yetter]

Back in high school I think sophomore year (?) our wind ensemble played this and it was so awesome. I was the snare and mixed percussion part and MAN that was a challenge at the time. First time with mixed meter

[@andrewhinchberger9706]

Why is everyone in the comments complaining about the flute parts? I played first last year and loved it!

[@erinfink6056]

Memories.

[@christophergranados5634]

We used this for our concert.and chair auditions...!!

[@theoandurin]

I'm diggin the Eb Clarinet part!

[@huizexue1794]

The cover is nine candle

[@TieDyeSab]

I got the first flute part... Let me tell you... I didn't know I could play in such a high octave

[@christophergranados5634]

Love the trumpet and cornet part at 7:25...awesome

[@mickvazquez5424]

This was my favorite piece I've ever done 😍

[@williamperrini5697]

There are 9 candles in the picture but this is the eighth candle

[@Mark99229]

The 8th candle represents the final night of Hanukkah. There are nine candles because menorahs have nine candles, the middle one is used to light the other 1-8 candles

[@qtheronie1323]

Where my saxophones at?

[@venicetaylor1448]

Here!!

[@qtheronie1323]

Venice Taylor YES QUEEN/KING!!

[@midnightcoupe228]

Also here

[@AlexGonzalez-ye9pc]

Rip lungs of all woodwinds😭😭 trumpets only did melody and supporting we had many breaks💀

[@sylviahungerford5135]

Beautiful piece, but I can't count for beans! Will need to listen and play along; hope and pray my director doesn't strangle me. Why did I volunteer to fill in first chair?? :-)

[@AComplexMex]

This piece is fun, Idek why people have to hate on it so much

[@princeofsophos4366]

I've watched this 5 times today thanks good quality

[@mattl7938]

My bands doing this this year and I’m lucky I play bari sax

[@sarahdillon4867]

You know everyone keeps talking about how hard this song is and hating on it. I remember being really sad in 10th grade when this got axed from the concert because I loved it, and through it was so much fun. Well I guess 2nd clarinets must have had the easiest part.

[@ryanmatlaga497]

my school is doing this song so i hope it is good.

[@starwolf1225]

oh you know how to count?

[@vonjt4077]

Our band instructor keeps yelling at us trumpets for messing up the end 😂

[@aeroplano111]

Excellent... would have liked the french horn part at the end to be louder though

[@zhanhow9541]

I know I'm late compared to all the other comments but this song slaps on the bari

[@meganjones7367]

7:08

[@user-he8se3jc9v]

The 5/8-3/4 sticking for tymps is giving me full blown panic attacks 🙄🙄🙄

[@pigeon4422]

Mmmm this song is delicious

[@shiko-hirosuki]

I feel sorry for the clarinets. RIP, old section.

[@elijahjohnson7411]

@5:50

[@lyssdish3437]

This piece isn’t even difficult

[@dachangoo594]

It really isn't once you get it down. I will be playing this for a second time in 1 month

[@queenaro6470]

I hate this piece with a burning passion. The key signature changes so frequently and many of the notes are SUPER fast. Definitely not a good piece to play unless you are extremely talented. Our high school band played it and some of the trumpet parts made my ears want to bleed. Though it does sound quite nice if you can play it correctly.

[@DelaineyHeinz]

+Queen Acorn I definitely feel you on that. I'm playing this song for concert band and I'm on the 1st flute part. Not easy, but it's beautiful if played correctly.

[@queenaro6470]

We have improved a bit, but there are some parts that need a LOT of work. I play the sax and that part is hard. I can't imagine 1st flute!

[@DelaineyHeinz]

It's terrifying, just a lot of 6 tuplets and 16th note and 32nd runs. Awful. But it sounds so pretty.

[@friendlyhatespeech3300]

as a trumpet player, I laugh at the saxophones in front of me. but that's beside the point lol. ( I do respect all instruments FYI ) but I would be able to vouch for that when we first played. but it's easy now, after a few practices. (but then again it is our wind ensemble at our HS. Anyways, just work the song backwards, and you'll have it. good luck!!!!

[@DelaineyHeinz]

It's easier now with the practices indeed, it sounds really good as well. I'm a senior in HS also.

[@plasmax2710]

among us in real life... SUS!

[@elijahjohnson7411]

@5:38