Ensembles
Interchangeable Woodwind Ensemble
EASY LEVEL
This lyrical piece is composed using ternary (ABA) form and gives every section an opportunity to shine. Filled with rich use of harmony and a flowing melody, As the River Flows is a great way to teach an ensemble expressive style.
The term celestial has many different meanings: relating to the sky, space or the heavens. All of these things can be used to describe what is brought out by the performance of this piece. This theme goes through a number of transformations throughout the piece and gives the performers the opportunity to work on many elements and styles of performing, from light dynamics and articulations, into something that is meant to be played with more energy and heaviness.
In Dreams is a musical representation of exactly what our dreams are like: peaceful, calming, horrific, and unpredictable; yet, there is always something to remember about them when we wake up. This piece reflects that by manipulating a memorable eighth note motif through various styles, feels, tempos, and instrumentation.
Scotland's Loch Ness may have the fame as far as lake monsters go but, for many monster searchers, Ogopogo — a creature said to lurk in Canada's Lake Okanagan (in British Columbia) — is most likely the best documented of all lake monsters. The Mystery of Ogopogo is a musical representation of the Ogopogo creature and features the lower voices and is a great opportunity for students to learn and practice the different articulations and dynamics.
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.
EASY-MEDIUM LEVEL
Using the style of Canadian folk songs from the east coast and the story telling features of Newfoundland, A Fisherman's Tale is a piece about a trip out into the ocean. The piece opens with the solemn, chorale-like movement Farewell, as the fisherman leaves his home and family to begin the excursion, and closes with Return to Harbour, an up tempo movement representing the worker's successful homecoming.
This mournful piece is based on a Canadian folk song which is an account of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, where the British, led by General Wolfe, captured Quebec City from the French, under General Montcalm. This lyrical arrangement makes use of rich harmonies influenced by jazz and pop music. There are some great solo sections to feature a talented alto saxophone, clarinet and flute member of the ensemble.
El Camino (The Road) is a Spanish march composed in the traditional style of a pasodoble. This piece is fast paced and energetic from start to finish and sounds more complicated than it seems! This is something a little different in the march category that will have audiences tapping their toes.
Gods of Egypt is a piece composed with the flare of music of the Middle East. A strong opening using a traditional Middle Eastern scale and counter melody immediately create the feel for this piece.
Queen Anne's Revenge was the final ship sailed by Edward Thatch, also known as the pirate, Blackbeard. To give the "pirate-like" feeling to the music, it has been composed in 6/8 time, as have many pieces about pirates. Great melodies and driving rhythms - argh!
Legacy is a song of heroic nature and is a great way to introduce polyrhythmic texture to a young band. This piece opens with a high energy feel that can represent a hero. The piece moves into a lyrical section that can be portrayed as the hero's downfall. A new melody is introduced by the alto saxophone solo, which is later countered by the flutes and trumpets. The high energy melody returns again, bringing the piece to an exciting conclusion.
Maiden Voyage is a song about celebration. Although the term 'maiden voyage' refers to a boat's first adventure, it can represent any first successful event. Great rhythmic interest and memorable themes make this a fun piece to play and ideal for contest or concert use.
Mission: Secret is a classic spy tune written using a 12-bar blues form. It mostly comprises of a catchy bass line riff with a simple, sustained melody over top. Although short solos are written in the a couple parts, these may also be improvised using an C concert blues scale (C Eb F F# G Bb). Super Spy!
Ancient civilizations represent many things about life as we know it today: power, beauty, intelligence, and ambition. This piece reflects all of these qualities, from the driving force of the ancient armies, to the elegance of ancient architecture.
Shimmer is a calm, reflective piece that is reflected by the meaning of the word itself: to shine with a subdued flickering light, as in a reflection on water. The main melody is simple and repeated several times throughout, each time mixed with various harmonies, contrapuntal techniques, rhythmical figures, or counter melodies, to keep the music interesting for performers and listeners.
This is a highly energetic piece that your quintet and audience will certainly enjoy. The piece opens with a mysterious feeling, introducing some of the melodic content, before moving into the fast (and triumphant!) tempo.
Inspired by two folk songs from the arranger's Dutch heritage, Two Holland Tales is a piece that combines both lyrical and upbeat sections. Daar waren twee koningskinderen (There Were Two Royal Children) is the opening lyrical movement. The piece then moves into Toen ik op Nederlands bergen stond (I Once Stood On the Netherland's Hills). This is a fast movement in 6/8.
Utopia is a musical reflection of the bustling life of a big city. It opens using fanfare-like chords, to represent the perfection of this wonderful place. Melody is found throughout the ensemble giving opportunity for all the instruments to shine.
Western Fair is an energetic, uplifting piece that can be fun for both players to perform and listeners to hear. It is composed using two main melodies that are performed in many forms, combined in various fragments and supported with different harmonic backgrounds, giving it new life each time it is heard. The piece slowly builds from a simple solo into an epic, cut-time feel in the middle before driving to an exciting ending.
The Heather is one of the national flowers of Scotland. This purple flower flourishes in the damp, rainy weather of Scottish moorland, glens and hills. The piece opens with the instruments imitating the drone of the bagpipes setting the stage for a lone soloist. Throughout the remainder of the work the melody is passed to many voices. It is reflective and expressive.
MEDIUM LEVEL
This piece was influenced by the music of the Middle East and India. ‘Kaalin’ is the Hindi word for ‘rug’, much like the one ridden by Aladdin in the famous story. This piece can even be considered a programmatic piece, as if someone were riding a magic carpet through the Arabic or Indian communities.
Something Modal is a laid back jump swing chart. The melodies and backgrounds are very simple, yet very catchy. Chord changes are simple enough to open up opportunities for players to practice and show off their improvising abilities.
For those who have enjoyed Last Voyage of the Queen Anne's Revenge or Burning of the Royal Fortune, here is another exciting instalment to the pirate theme at a more challenging level.