Concert Band
Grade 0.5
This piece is a celebration piece to honour those who risk their lives everyday to make our world a better place to live. Regal and heroic themes are contrasted by lyrical playing in the woodwinds all supported by a steady percussion section.
Barricade is a fun, high energy piece that gives beginning students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities as performers and to learn the elements of performing ensemble music. The style marking ‘With Aggression’ identifies that the piece is to be played with assertiveness throughout. Students will love the energy and excitement this piece has to offer. Driving rhythms, colorful percussion writing and melody in all voices (including the lowest ones!) will give everyone something fun and interesting to do.
ALSO AVAILABLE FOR FLEXIBLE BAND
This arrangement of the Canadian folk song is simplified for beginning bands to work on techniques for playing a lyrical piece. By the Clear Fountain (A La Claire Fontaine) is a song that tells of a young man s thoughts about a young woman that he loves. This folk song arrangement is part of a collection for young band celebrating Canada s 150th anniversary since joining Confederation.
Castle on the Cliff is a piece reflecting the many sieges on castles in medieval history. The piece begins with a fierce opening, setting the 'menacing' mood of a war between an army (the winds) and the castle's defence (the percussion).
Ceremonious is a processional piece that focuses mainly on the first seven notes learned in most method books. It is a great way to teach young performers about articulations, relationships between different sections, and the roles of those sections in a band piece. All parts are simple and easy to learn, so less time can be spent on learning the parts, and more time can be focused on dynamic contrast and balance, articulations, and tone control.
This piece was composed to reflect an army setting out on an expedition, and the trials they face along the way. Strong punctuated unisons are contrasted by smooth lyrical playing offering the opportunity for young players to experience style styles. Colourful percussion add to the energy and excitement of this work for very young band.
Exuberance is the perfect piece to introduce young performers to band music. Focusing on the first seven pitches introduced in most method books, this piece makes use of simple compositional techniques to help your band evolve from playing unison melodies into sounding like a mature band. Each section has melodic content at some point in the piece, giving each performer the opportunity to shine.
Fury of the Storm is a great piece to challenge and introduce beginning band musicians to music with multiple elements occurring simultaneously. The piece consists of mainly two themes that are performed at separate points of the piece, and eventually come together in the final measures.
The Intrepid is a piece that is aggressive in nature, designed to depict someone that is brave, therefore a majority of the music is to be played bold and crisp. Strong rhythmic unisons, fun parts for all and even some clapping make this a hit with students and audiences.
Longships were sea vessels made and used by the Vikings from the Nordic countries for trade, commerce, exploration and warfare during the Viking Age. This piece reflects the expedition of such ships through its music, focusing on using the first six notes learned in most method books.
This piece is a celebratory work composed to reflect a special occasion. Even though it uses just the first six notes, the various articulations and dynamics used make this a terrific piece filled with many teachable moments.
This piece, influenced by the music of the Orient, was composed using a minor pentatonic scale and focusing on the first six notes learned in most method books. Following ABA form, this is a perfect opportunity for performers to learn about contrapuntal textures, dynamic contrasts and a variety of articulations, through playing simple, memorable themes. Every instrument in the ensemble gets the opportunity to shine at some point in the performance.
A Peaceful Journey is the perfect description of what this piece is all about: calming, simple, and enjoyable to perform and listen to. This selection was composed with the intention to introduce very beginning band musicians to lyrical music and help them develop tone control and air support.
ALSO AVAILABLE FOR FLEXIBLE BAND
A Regal Celebration is a great introduction piece to a concert, and is composed to reflect the entrance of a King and Queen into court. Focusing on the first seven notes used in most method books, it uses both block harmony orchestration, as well as call response to help your ensemble evolve from playing unison melodies, into sounding like a mature band.
Ritual and Dance is a simple yet fun piece for young musicians. The opening measures create the dark, ritualistic feel of the piece with the rhythmic figure and open fifths being played by the ensemble. Strong melody and dynamic contrasts make this an excellent original work for beginning band.
This piece was composed to reflect a medieval scene of an army attacking a castle. Fun parts to play for all while focusing on using the first six notes learned in most method books.
ALSO AVAILABLE FOR FLEXIBLE BAND