My school is playing this song and I play the toms.

I'm pleased to share these recordings of music I've written for release by Alfred and others recently.

Please visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com to learn more, or www.jwpepper.com to purchase.

Recent Releases

Aesop's Fables (Grade 5, Alfred Publications) was commissioned by the West Chester University Wind Ensemble, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Dr. Kenneth Laudermilch, Director. 

Movement 1, "The Tortoise and the Hare," from Scott Watson's AESOP'S FABLES. Please visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com to learn more.

Aesop's Fables, movt 1 (The Tortoise and the Hare)

"Fantasy On An Old English Air," by Scott Watson (distributed by Hal Leonard, available at J.W. Pepper: http://www.jwpepper.com/2475543.item#.UgJuf1MlMts). Please visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com to learn more.

Fantasy On An Old English Air

To learn more about Annie Ray, her program, and the GRAMMY Music Educator Award, visit: https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-music-educator-award-recipient-announced-annie-ray-2024-grammys

S6 E15 - Annie Ray

My SATB setting of William Carlos Williams's "The Approach of Winter" with the Manhattan Choral Ensemble, Thomas Cunningham, cond.

Approach Of Winter

A journey over 12 years in the making, "A New Sheriff in Town" connects to "The Last Stagecoach Heist" (published by FJH). This new stand-alone work contains two distinct sections "A New Sheriff in Town" and "Tumbleweeds". 

A New Sheriff in Town

"Alleluia Fanfare" is a based on the Spanish hymn tune "Madrid" and commonly appears in hymnals as "Come Christians Join and Sing".

Alleluia Fanfare

CAPTURING THE BLUE RIBAND (Alfred Challenger Series, Grade 1.5)

During the golden age of ocean travel, when increasingly faster and more luxurious steamships such as the Queen Mary, Lusitania, and United States sailed the seas, the Blue Riband was the coveted trophy bestowed on the vessel that clocked the fastest transatlantic time. Capturing the Blue Riband was both a demonstration of industrial strength and a source of national pride. 

Capturing the Blue Riband musically celebrates the excitement and sense of occasion experienced when traveling aboard these grand, early 20th century transatlantic liners. It’s energetic opening and closing sections evoke the exhilaration of taking to the sea in this historic race of prestige, while a contrasting section conveys the sense of grandeur and honor central to the era and the award.

For more information about the music of Scott Watson, visit:
www.scottwatsonmusic.com


Capturing the Blue Riband

Shakespeare describes Queen Mab as the spritely queen of the faeries and the midwife of dreams. Mab flits around at night driving a miniature chariot, landing on the noses of sleeping men and women to plant dreams in their minds. The dreams she instigates may be about the fulfillment of wishes, love and desire, bravery in battle, mischievous fun, or even frightening visions. 

In this programmatic tone poem for winds and percussion, Mab’s exploits are captured via sectional themes: lullaby, magical flight, nocturnal work, and a recapitulation in which the lullaby theme is interwoven with Mab’s flight music.

Queen Mab was commissioned by a consortium of twelve university and high school ensembles across the United States under the auspices of Composers and Schools in Concert (CSIC), Lisa Oman, Director, an organization that facilitates educational interactions between artist-composers and student ensembles. This performance is by the Orange County School for the Arts (Santa Ana, CA) Wind Ensemble, Teren Shaffer, Musical Director, with Jeffery deSeriere conducting.

Queen Mab

Terracotta Warriors (Alfred Publications, Grade 2.5) was inspired by the extraordinary “spirit army” of clay statues - numbering more than 6,000 - created in the third century B.C. for the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China. This astounding array of armed sculptures was placed in the emperor’s tomb, along with hundreds of terracotta horses and chariots, to protect the emperor in the afterlife. The music begins with a brief, plaintive folk chant summoning the army from their centuries-old sleep. The faithful warriors respond, coming to life to protect their emperor with musical representations of uniform marching and weapons display. Terracotta Warriors captures the legend and grandeur of the Qin dynasty in this striking and unique piece for band. 

Terracotta Warriors was commissioned by the Albemarle County (Virginia) Middle School Honors Band, premiered November 2016.  Alfred Young Symphonic Series and 2017 J.W. Pepper Editor's Choice.

To learn more, visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com.

Terracotta Warriors

See Amid the Winter’s Snow (Alfred Publications, Grade 2) is perhaps the best-know carol by English organist, composer and teacher, Sir John Goss (1800-1880). The emotional scope of this lovely nativity hymn - from the cold, winter’s “dead of night” to the appearing of angels singing in “wondrous light” - is mirrored in the dynamics of Watson’s musical setting. 

See Amid the Winter’s Snow - with its quintessentially English melody, flowing inner voices, and sturdy bass lines - has it all and is the perfect “change of pace” piece for your winter program.

To learn more, please visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com.

See Amid The Winter's Snow

Secret Agent Sugar Plum (String Orchestra, Alfred Publications, Grade 2.5)
Have the cookies left out on Christmas Eve mysteriously vanished? Does it seem like the nutcracker and toy soldier figurines have moved by themselves overnight? Are you experiencing strange visions of holiday confections dancing in your head? There’s only one operative with the right skill set for holiday capers like these: Secret Agent Sugar Plum of the Holiday Sweets Division of WinterPol!

This clever holiday "mash up" arrangement for string orchestra and percussion fuses themes from Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" (from The Nutcracker) with classic spy music idioms, all set to a driving rock beat. Sure to be a player and audience favorite in your holiday concert!

To learn more, visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com.

2017-2018 Belwin and Highland-Etling Orchestra New Releases

Secret Agent Sugar Plum (String Orchestra, Percussion)

A Golden Legacy (Wingert-Jones, Grade 4.5) was commissioned by the Lehigh County (Pennsylvania) Bandmasters to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Lehigh County Honor Band Festival. The 50-year legacy mentioned in the title refers to the significant impact those band teachers had on the lives of their students all those years, passing the love of music from generation to generation. The legacy is golden because it marks a musical tradition held so dear.
 
The music for A Golden Legacy reflects both the joy and reverence many of us feel in our role as transmitters of cultural art, of the band tradition.  The piece alternates between two themes: one a fanfare that becomes a purposeful march, the other a chorale (or hymn tune) that undergoes several variations.  The last of these variations erupts in celebration with full woodwind scoring, brass fanfares, and exciting runs by the bells and chimes.

To learn more, please visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com

2017 Wingert-Jones Concert Band Final

A Golden Legacy

A macabre figurehead on the prow of a medieval Norse warship, followed by its large sail adorned with a mythical beast, slowly emerges from the mist on the cold, dark sea. The rough voice of the ship master and the beat of the drum call the boat’s oarsmen to strenuous, rhythmic movement as they bear down on their prey. Full of dread, the smaller ship attempts to outrun their Viking attackers, using the fog to evade capture. For a time neither ship sees the other; there is an eerie quiet. But these cold waters belong to the Norsemen of the Dragonship, who skillfully and stealthily maneuver through the shadowy fog. The Dragonship suddenly appears from the mist, its terrifying bow looming right above! It is too late! 

Dragonship uses inventive harmonies, accented modal melodies, and colorful, aggressive percussion scoring to convey the mythical tale of a fearsome Norse warship.

Alfred Challenger Series, Grade 1.5. For more information please visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com.

2018-2019 Belwin & Alfred Concert Band New Releases

Dragonship

Balkan Seven gets its inspiration from the lively, often rhythmically asymmetric, dances of the Balkan region of Southeastern Europe - encompassing countries such as Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia. ⅞ is the most popular uneven dance rhythm in all of Balkan music, especially in Macedonia, where a line dance with a 3+2+2 subdivision is prevalent. 

Not surprisingly, the percussion section plays a special role in creating and sustaining the feel of a rustic folk dance. The score calls for a minimum of seven different players (some covering multiple instruments). The high-low tom part approximates the sound of various 2-headed folk drums used in Balkan music (e.g. tupan, daouli, davul, doumbek). Optional percussion doublings - hand drum(s) with the snare drum part and finger cymbals(s) with the triangle part - are indicated and encouraged if players are available. In measures 98-117, the wind players create additional percussive energy by clapping and (for some) stomping. Balkan Seven was commissioned by the Orefield Middle School 7th/8th Grade Band (Orefield, PA), Mr. Peter Zimmer, Director and premiered May 2018.

Alfred Publications Young Symphonic Series, Grade 3. For more information, please visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com.

Balkan Seven

Enter the steampunk world of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and others whose fascinating, limitless view of the future - from a Victorian vantage point - presented all sorts of fanciful contraptions: forward-looking modes of transportation, time travel, weaponry and more!

Two themes alternate, one conveying the wonder of these futuristic marvels (and the mysterious laboratoriums where they are hatched). A second raucous, energetic theme portrays the steam, gears, sprockets, and pulleys mechanically powering them. 

Alfred Music, Young Symphonic Series, Grade 3. Commissioned by the Clayton High School (NJ) Concert Band, David Dashefsky, Director. To learn more, visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com.

2019-2020 Belwin & Alfred Concert Band New Releases

Extraordinary Machines of Clockwork and Steam

"Flourish On An Easter Hymntune," Scott Watson (Grade 4.5, published by TRN). Please visit http://trnmusic.com/products/Flourish-on-an-Easter-Hymntune.html for details, or visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com to learn more about my music. THANKS for listening!

Flourish On An Easter Hymntune

Scott Watson has composed for concert, radio, and theater and received recognition for his work from ASCAP, the American Composers Forum, the American Music Center and others.

Watson's music for band is published primarily by Alfred Publications, for whom he an exclusive composer for the Challenger Series. Other music for concert band is published by Wingert-Jones Publications, TRN, C. L. Barnhouse, Hal Leonard, Concert Works Unlimited (a division of Shawnee Press, now distributed by Hal Leonard), and Jon Ross Music. His string/orchestra music is published by Wingert-Jones Publications Publications, and his chamber music is published by Trillenium Music Company.

About Watson's music, The Instrumentalist says "outstanding...with beautiful melodies and interesting harmonies" (Mark Hosler, 2004), Percussive Notes says "written with supreme craft" (Cort McClaren, 1993), the Allentown Morning Call says "Watson exhibited a great deal of skill in managing the resources of the orchestra...a very well-crafted piece...he will very likely become a force to be reckoned with" (Philip A. Metzger, 2000), and PMEA News says "Watson skillfully transforms his zest for life into his own brand of unique musical exuberance. His scoring for winds, brass, and percussion is excellent" (Kenneth Laudermilch, 1998). His music for band has several times been named to Bandworld Top 100 and Japan Band Clinic Yamaha Recommends 100 Pieces for Band listings. Recent projects include Youth/Student Concert performances of his Aesop's Fables by the Allentown Band, with dance choreographed by Repertory Dance Theater, as well as commissions by MusicAlliance Honor Band Camp (Cleveland, Ohio) made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Lehigh County (Pennsylvania) Bandmasters Association, Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association (Spring 2007, concert band and chorus); an American Composers Forum Continental Harmony project commission, Magic Valley, (2004, concert band); Figurations (for winds and percussion), commissioned by the West Chester University Wind Ensemble, Kenneth Laudermilch, Director; Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, for the Temple University Symphony Orchestra, Luis Biava conductor and Terell Stafford, trumpet soloist; and Hymn and Declaration, commissioned by the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra, Donald Spieth, Director. Watson has been pleased and honored to serve as guest conductor and adjudicator at various band festivals as well.

Watson teaches instrumental and elective music in the Parkland School District (Allentown, PA), and serves as adjunct professor teaching music education/music technology courses for Villanova University, Cairn University, and Central Connecticut State University and Applied Composition for Valley Forge Christian College. His book, Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity, focuses on project-based, creative music learning facilitated by technology, and is published by Oxford University Press.

Dragonship

Dr. Scott Watson

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