This Years Best Bands

SKU: CF.BPS112F

ISBN 9781491152669. UPC: 680160910168.

Josep h Compello's Best Friends Forever derives its title from the phrase popularized in social media and frequently texted with the acronym BFF. This is a strong and tuneful march in standard form for beginning bands. The composer draws on his many years of teaching to provide a well-written march that will make students sound great!.
Best Friends Forever derives its title from the phrase popularized in social media and frequently texted with the acronym BFF. As it pertains to this piece, Best Friends Forever refers to the two melodies first heard simultaneously at m. 5 after the repeat. Notice that Flutes, Clarinets and Bells play only the second time through at m. 5. Stylistically the entire piece should have the feel of a little march with an easy gait. In addition to gaining experience in independent part playing, young players will also learn the importance of balance by listening to what other sections of the band are playing.

SKU: CF.BPS112

ISBN 9781491151983. UPC: 680160909483.

Josep h Compello's Best Friends Forever derives its title from the phrase popularized in social media and frequently texted with the acronym BFF. This is a strong and tuneful march in standard form for beginning bands. The composer draws on his many years of teaching to provide a well-written march that will make students sound great!.
Best Friends Forever derives its title from the phrase popularized in social media and frequently texted with the acronym BFF. As it pertains to this piece, Best Friends Forever refers to the two melodies first heard simultaneously at m. 5 after the repeat. Notice that Flutes, Clarinets and Bells play only the second time through at m. 5. Stylistically the entire piece should have the feel of a little march with an easy gait. In addition to gaining experience in independent part playing, young players will also learn the importance of balance by listening to what other sections of the band are playing.

SKU: CF.SPS71

ISBN 9781491143544. UPC: 680160901043. Key: G minor.

Nordanvind is a tour de force symphonic rhapsody that is built on three Scandinavian folk songs. Composer Carl Strommen has composed these Viking-influenced melodies into a concert setting that brings out all of the history of the Scandinavian people. The piece is at times bold and aggressive, at other times beautiful. Carl employs all of the instrumental colors of the concert band to create a new work for more advanced ensembles.
Modern Scandinavians are descendants of the Vikings, an adventuresome people who were known for their love of the sea, their naval prowess, and as fierce fighters . The Scandinavian Vikings were warriors from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden who traded, raided and settled in various parts of Europe, Russia, the North Atlantic islands, and the northeastern coast of North America .Starting around 1850, over one million Swedes left their homeland for the United States in search of religious freedom and open farm land . Augustana College was founded in 1860 by graduates of Swedish universities and is located on the Mississippi River in Rock Island, Illinois . Home of the “Vikings,” Augustana College is the oldest Swedish- American institution of higher learning in the United States . This powerful and lively piece takes inspiration from Swedish history and from Swedish folk songs and hymns .Havsdrake (Dragon of the Sea)The Nordanvind or “North Wind” blows a cold wind during a journey of a group of courageous Viking rowers . The “Dragon-ship” or long ships designed for raiding and war was a sophisticated, fast ship able to navigate in very shallow water . To musically portray these magnificent seafaring vessels, the director is encouraged to use an Ocean Drum (or a rain stick) during the introduction . Wind players may consider blowing air through their instruments to suggest the North wind . Adding men’s voices to accompany the haunting low brass and percussive “rower” sounds can be helpful in creating the dark and ominous portrayal of Viking adventurers .Slangpolska efter Byss - KalleIn Sweden, a “polska” is a partner dance where the dancers spin each other (släng in Swedish “to sling or toss”) . Slangpolska efter Byss - Kalle is attributed to Byss-Kalle, who was a notable Swedish folk musician, specifically a nyckelharpa player . Slangpolska efter Byss - Kalle is a traditional “polska” dance song most often played on the Nyckelharpa or keyed fiddle and is commonly heard in pubs and at festive events throughout Sweden . Approximately 10,000 nyckelharpa players live in Sweden today, and the Swedish and the American Nyckelharpa Associations are dedicated to this Swedish National instrument . The director is encouraged to share video and audio examples of the nyckelharpa playing the original Slangpolska efter Byss - Kalle .Tryggare Kan Ingen Vara (Children of the Heavenly Father)Tryggare Kan Ingen Vara Is a traditional Swedish melody, possibly of German roots, and was believed to be arranged as a hymn by the Swedish hymn writer, Karolina Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg (1832–1903) . As a daughter of a Swedish Lutheran minister, she began writing poems as a teenager and is said to have written over 1,700 different texts . There are two different accounts as to the inspiration for this hymn . The first story is that Lina (as she was called) wrote the hymn to honor her father and to say thank you to him for raising her and protecting her . A second belief is of her witnessing the tragic death of her father . She and her father were on a boat, when a wave threw her father overboard . It was said that the profound effect of watching her father drown is what caused Lina to write the text to this hymn . Although this is a treasured song to people of Swedish descent everywhere, it speaks to all people about a father tending and nourishing his children, and protecting them from evil .SPS71FThe Augustana College Concert BandFounded in 1874, the Augustana Band program is one of the oldest continuously active collegiate band programs in the country . The Concert Band is one of two bands on campus and was formed more than thirty years ago . The Concert Band attracts students of every skill level and from a wide variety of majors . Students in the ensemble play a large part in choosing their music for performance, which include works from the standard repertoire, orchestral transcriptions, and the latest compositions from leading composers .Rick Jaeschke began his musical career as a clarinet player in the 1st US Army Band . He received a Bachelor of Music degree from Susquehanna University, a Masters of Music from James Madison University, and a doctorate from Columbia University in New York . He was also fortunate to study conducting with Donald Hunsburger and with Frederick Fennell .Dr . Jaeschke taught band and choir at Great Mills High School in Southern Maryland, and for fifteen years, he was the district Music Supervisor in Armonk, New York, where he taught high school concert and jazz bands, beginning band, and music technology . During that time, the music program flourished, and the high school band consistently received Gold Medals in the New York State Festivals, as well as in national, and international festivals . As a clarinet and saxophone player, Dr . Jaeschke performed in the New York metropolitan area with the Rockland Symphony Orchestra, the Putnam Symphony Orchestra, Fine Arts Symphony Orchestra, and served as the concert master for the Hudson Valley Wind Symphony .For several years, Dr . Jaeschke served as the Fine Arts Coordinator for the District 204 schools in Naperville, IL, a district selected as One of the Best 100 Schools in America for Music . Currently, Dr . Jaeschke is an Associate Professor at Augustana College where he teaches music and music education courses, and directs the Concert Band . He has served on various educational boards, is a National edTPA scorer, and has presented at state, national and international music conferences . He lives with his family in Bettendorf Iowa, and enjoys any opportunity to explore the open water in his sea kayak .

SKU: MH.1-59913-050-5

ISBN 9781599130507.

Char les Dickens certainly would have known the three carols in A CHARLES DICKENS CHRISTMAS. They were among the best-known and best-loved carols of the Victorian Era, and were a staple of the repertoire of roving waits, or carollers, that appear in his novels. Today this music is as familiar as Santa Claus and Tiny Tim. THE FIRST NOWELL was first collected in Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern by William Sandys in 1833. It is most probably 200 years older than that. The Oxford Book of Carols contains nine verses, which makes it an ideal processional for Christmas or Epiphany (the feast commemorating the coming of the Magi). COVENTRY CAROL, or Lully, Lullay, comes from the medieval tradition of mystery and miracle plays. In 1534 the Pageant of the Shearman and Tailors Guild included a scene in which the mothers of Jewish children sang this haunting lullaby after hearing the horrifying order: Herod the king, In his raging, All young children to slay. The music is anonymous; the text believed to be by Robert Croo. ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH is probably of French origin, but the English long ago adopted it as their own. Besides the French text, Les Anges dans nos compagnes, it is known in several versions and by several titles, including Angels from the Realms of Glory, When the Crimson Sun Had Set, and Westminster Carol. It belongs to a category known as macaronic carols, which mix vernacular verses with Latin refrains - in this instance, Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Glory be to God on High). Ensemble instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 8 Flute, 2 Oboe, 1 Bassoon 1, 1 Bassoon 2, 4 Bb Clarinet 1, 4 Bb Clarinet 2, 4 Bb Clarinet 3, 1 Eb Alto Clarinet, 3 Bb Bass Clarinet & Bb Contrabass Clarinet, 2 Eb Alto Saxophone 1, 2 Eb Alto Saxophone 2, 1 Bb Tenor Saxophone, 1 Eb Baritone Saxophone, 3 Bb Trumpet 1, 3 Bb Trumpet 2, 3 Bb Trumpet 3, 2 F Horn 1, 2 F Horn 2, 2 Trombone 1, 2 Trombone 2, 2 Trombone 3, 3 Euphonium (Bass Clef), 2 Euphonium (Treble Clef), 5 Tubas, 1 Timpani, 2 Bells & Chimes, 3 Percussion 1: small triangle, suspended cymbal, crash cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, 2 Percussion 2: large triangle, finger cymbals.

SKU: MH.1-59913-054-8

ISBN 9781599130545.

Roya l Coronation Dances is the first sequel to the Fanfare Ode & Festival, both being settings of dance music originally arranged by Gervaise in the mid 16th-century (the next sequel is The Renaissance Fair, which uses music of Susato and Praetorius). Fanfare Ode & Festival has been performed by many tens of thousands of students, both in high school and junior high school. I have heard that some of them are amazed that the music they are playing was first played and danced to over 400 years ago. Some students tend to think that music started with Handel and his Messiah to be followed by Beethoven and his Fifth Symphony, with naught in between or before of consequence. Although Royal Coronation Dances is derived from the same source as Fanfare Ode & Festival, they are treated in different ways. I envisioned this new suite programmatically -- hence the descriptive movement titles, which I imagined to be various dances actually used at some long-ago coronation. The first movement depicts the guests, both noble and common, flanked by flag and banner bearers, arriving at the palace to view the majestic event. They are festive, their flags swirling the air, their cloaks brightly colored. In the second movement, the queen in stately measure moves to take her place on the throne as leader and protector of the realm. In the third movement, the jesters of the court entertain the guests with wild games of sport. Musically, there are interesting sonorities to recreate. Very special attention should be given to the tambourine/tenor drum part in the first movement. Their lively rhythms give the movement its power. Therefore they should be played as distinctly and brilliantly as possible. The xylophone and glockenspiel add clarity, but must not be allowed to dominate. Observe especially the differing dynamics; the intent is to allow much buzzing bass to penetrate. The small drum (starting at meas. 29) should be played expressively, with attention to the notated articulations, with the brass light and detached, especially in a lively auditorium. It is of some further interest that the first dance is extremely modal. The original is clearly in G mixolydian mode (scale: G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G). However, other editors might put in F-sharps in many places (changing the piece almost to G major), in the belief that such ficta would have been automatically put in by the 16th-century performers as they played. I doubt it. I have not only eschewed these within the work, but even at the cadences. So this arrangement is most distinctly modal (listen to the F-naturals in meas. 22 and 23, for instance), with all the part-writing as Gervaise wrote it. In the second movement, be careful that things do not become too glued together. In the 16th century this music might have been played by a consort of recorders, instruments very light of touch and sensitive to articulation. Concert band can easily sound heavy, and although this movement has been scored for tutti band, it must not sound it. It is essential, therefore, that you hear all the instruments, with none predominating. Only when each timbre can be heard separately and simultaneously will the best blend occur, and consequently the greatest transparency. So aim for a transparent, spacious tutti sound in this movement. Especially have the flutes, who do this so well, articulate rather sharply, so as to produce a chiffing sound, and do not allow the quarter-notes to become too tied together in the entire band. The entrance of the drums (first tenor, then bass) are events and as such should be audible. Incidentally, this movement begins in F Major and ends in D Minor: They really didn't care so much about those things then. The third movement (one friend has remarked that it is the most Margolisian of the bunch, but actually I am just getting subtler, I hope) again relies upon the percussion (and the scoring) to make its points. Xylophone in this movement is meant to be distinctly audible. Therefore, be especially sure that the xylophone player is secure in the part, and also that the tambourine and toms sound good. This movement must fly or it will sink, so rev up the band and conduct it in 1 for this mixolydian jesting. I suppose the wildly unrelated keys (clarinets and then brass at the end) would be a good 16th-century joke, but to us, our put-up-the-chorus-a-half- step ears readily accept such shenanigans. Ensemble instrumentation: 1 Full Score, 1 Piccolo, 4 Flute 1, 4 Flute 2 & 3, 2 Oboe 1 & 2, 2 Bassoon 1 & 2, 1 Eb Clarinet, 4 Bb Clarinet 1, 4 Bb Clarinet 2, 4 Bb Clarinet 3, 2 Eb Alto Clarinet, 1 Eb Contra Alto Clarinet, 3 Bb Bass & Bb Contrabass Clarinet, 2 Eb Alto Saxophone 1, 2 Eb Alto Saxophone 2, 2 Bb Tenor Saxophone, 2 Eb Baritone Saxophone, 3 Bb Trumpet 1, 3 Bb Trumpet 2, 3 Bb Trumpet 3, 4 Horn in F 1 & 2, 2 Trombone 1, 4 Trombone 2 & 3, 3 Euphonium (B.C.), 2 Euphonium (T.C.), 4 Tuba, 1 String Bass, 1 Timpani (optional), 2 Xylophone & Glockenspiel, 5 Percussion.

SKU: PR.110418370

ISBN 9781491135075. UPC: 680160686247.

Compo sed as an organ solo by the 17-year-old Ives for his own performance purposes, the beloved Variations on America is a treat for any occasion, whether a holiday concert, a serious recital, or other special event. Danny Holt’s transcription for Piano, Four Hands adds a dazzling new option to play at home or on stage, taking best advantage of Ives’ tremendous contrasts in color, dynamics, and texture.
Composed when Charles Ives was a teenager, Variations on “America” is both a convenient introduction to Ives’ body of work, and an early example of his iconoclastic musical voice and creative genius. Just a few years after composing this piece, Ives would leave home to study music at Yale. But until then he had been taught by his father, George (who had been a bandmaster in the Civil War). George subjected the young Ives to experiments such as singing a song in one key while being accompanied in another, or arranging for two marching bands to converge on a town center, with the resulting cacophony that ensued.The Variations exemplifies an early period of experimentation in Ives’ work, spurred on by the unusual pedagogy of his father. The piece is particularly notable for its use of bitonality in the two interludes, subtly foreshadowing more well-known examples by Stravinsky, Bartók, and others by approximately two decades.The bitonal interludes were so ahead of their time, in fact, they were omitted from the first copy that was submitted to a publisher in 1892. (Alas, the piece was rejected even despite these “shocking” elements having been left out, and it wasn’t published until more than five decades later.) There is some ambiguity about when exactly Ives added the interludes into his manuscript copy, though ample evidence suggests he had performed the piece with the interludes around the time he notated the piece in 1891-92. In any case, in light of this piece and his other polytonal explorations from the last decade of the 19th century, it seems fair to give Ives credit for being a pioneer in this area!This arrangement for Piano, Four Hands, closely follows Ives’ original version for organ, setting aside William Schuman’s popular adaptation for symphony orchestra and William Rhoads’ band transcription of the Schuman orchestration. Pianists will find that the piece translates well to the instrument. Ideally, the choreography and logistics of elbow-to-elbow four-hands playing approximates the wild joy one gets from watching an organist play the piece (e.g., the elaborate pedal part in the final variation).In preparing this publication, attention was paid to details in the dual Critical Editions (Presser 443-41003) of both Ives’ manuscript edition and the 1949 publication edited by organist E. Power Biggs (who is credited with discovering what had been a long-lost, forgotten work.) But as with much of Ives’ output, attempting to create a true ‘urtext’ score is a futile endeavor, and especially with a piece such as this one – in which Ives incorporated improvisation in live performance – seems unnecessary anyhow. True die-hards are of course encouraged to consult the critical editions and even find inspiration in the orchestrated version. Generally, performers are advised to be wild, have fun, and not to be too rigid in their interpretive choices.Dynamics in this arrangement mostly follow the organ score closely. Pianists will use good judgment about pedaling throughout, which should be straightforward and intuitive. Courtesy accidentals have been provided frequently – without parentheses – balancing the need for extra clarity in the context of Ives’ murky musical language, and a desire to avoid unnecessary clutter.A few notes that might inform interpretive decisions:mm. 15-16: There are inconsistencies here between Ives’ original manuscript and the 1949 Biggs edition, regarding the top voice in m. 15, beat 3 (C# vs. Cn) and m. 16 (D Major vs. D Minor).mm. 76-84 & 143-146: In both Interludes, Ives emphatically notates extreme dynamic contrast, in order to highlight the bitonality. Although it may seem counterintuitive (or even a misprint, as has apparently been misconstrued by some), performers are urged to follow the composer’s marking!m. 109: Two-note slurs have been added here for clarity and consistency with other similar passages, though they do not appear in either the original manuscript or Biggs.m. 112: The last two eighth notes of Primo appear as 16ths in the original manuscript.mm. 183-186: The original manuscript has a slightly different bass line.mm. 184 & 186: Primo gestures have been re-written to be slightly more idiomatic for Piano, Four Hands.m. 186: The breath mark at the end of this bar does not appear in either the manuscript or Biggs, but is an editorial suggestion – aside from being appropriately dramatic, it will indeed be necessary in a reverberant hall!I would like to thank Steven Vanhauwaert, the other half of my piano duo, 4handsLA, for his input on early drafts of this arrangement.— Danny Holt, April 2022.

SKU: CL.012-3262-75

This magnificent work based on the well-known hymn It Is Well With My Soul, is respectfully dedicated to the heroes of United Flight 93 who tragically lost their lives in a Pennsylvania field on September 11, 2001. Reflective, intense, somber and inspiring are but a few of the words that best describe the emotional make-up of this stunning composition. Commissioned by the Somerset County (PA) Community Band and premiered on the occasion of the one-year anniversary, this piece is certain to become a standard in the repertoire of bands for many years to come. STUNNING!

About Heritage of the March

Full -sized concert band editions of the greatest marches of all time. Each has been faithfully re-scored to accommodate modern instrumentation and incorporate performance practices of classic march style

SKU: HL.4005399

UPC: 888680720643. 9.0x12.0x0.089 inches.

Through the years this well-known English folk song has been a favorite with composers including Ralph Vaughan Williams (English Folk Song Suite) and George Butterworth (The Bank of Green Willow). One of the best-known versions of Percy Grainger's 1921 setting for two pianos, and this delightful arrangement for young bands is based in part on Grainger's version. Dur: 2:45.

SKU: HL.49016216

ISBN 9790001113229. 8.5x11.75x1.75 inches.

Carl Orff wrote his little world-theatre Der Mond [The Moon], based on old fables, between 1936 and 1938. The score written for actors who sing, a narrator and large orchestra, also contains parts important for wind band. Four scenes have been selected for the present arrangements which are best performed on different sets of instruments. The arranger, Hermann Regner (born 1928), worked very closely with Carl Orff for many years. This work is sure to be a success in concerts for bands at an advanced level.

2 Fl. (2. auch Picc.) * 2 Ob. * Fag. - Klar. in Es * 3 Klar. in B * B.-Klar. * 2 Altsax. * 2 Tenorsax. * Baritonsax. in B - 4 Hr. * 3 Trp. * 3 Pos. * 2 Flhr. * Tenhr. * Bar. (Euph.) * 2 Tb. - Kb. - Zither (ossia Keyb.) - P. S. (Glspl. * Xyl. * Trgl. * Beck. * hg. Beck. * Tamt. * kl. Tr. * Ruhrtr. * Schellentr. * gr. Tr. * Ratsche) (4 Spieler).

SKU: GI.G-9344