“Twelve Days Of Christmas (Second Version),” arranged by Polly Bekasova, is a lively and technically demanding advanced piano arrangement of the traditional Christmas carol. Marked Allegro, this version takes the familiar melody and places it within a fuller piano texture featuring repeated chords, moving bass figures, rhythmic accompaniment patterns, register changes, and contrasting 3/4 and 4/4 passages. The arrangement is 3 pages long and 61 measures, making it a compact but energetic performance piece.

Measures 1–24 introduce the piece with the melody in the upper register and an active accompaniment underneath. The opening begins with a lighter texture before developing into fuller chordal writing. Repeated-note and chord patterns create a steady Allegro pulse, while the performer must coordinate the melody with the moving accompaniment.

Measures 25–41 continue with increasingly substantial piano textures. The right hand frequently combines the melody with accompanying notes and chords, while the left hand provides both bass support and moving figures. Changes between rhythmic patterns keep the section lively and require precise hand coordination.

Measures 42–57 bring another full statement of the musical material. The writing makes extensive use of chords in the upper register while the lower part moves through supporting notes and figures. There are changes between 3/4 and 4/4, adding rhythmic variety and requiring the performer to maintain a steady pulse through the meter changes.

Measures 58–61 form the closing section. Sustained notes and chords become especially important, creating a strong sense of arrival after the energetic preceding material. The final measures repeat the established accompaniment pattern while the sustained tones underneath give the ending weight and stability. The arrangement finishes with a clear, sustained closing sonority.

Interesting fact: “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was first published in England in 1780, but it was originally presented as a rhyme or memory game rather than as the fully formed song we know today. The familiar melody was popularized by English composer Frederic Austin, whose arrangement was published in 1909. Austin's version also helped establish the now-standard “four calling birds” wording.

Another fascinating detail is that the song is cumulative: each verse adds another gift while repeating the previous ones. This makes the lyrics progressively longer and turns the song into a musical memory challenge—something that fits particularly well with the increasingly elaborate piano writing found in this arrangement.