Music for Strings

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

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

A Joyous Celebration (Alfred Publications, String Orchestra with Timpani, Grade 2.5) - with its bright, hopeful melody and infectious rhythms - is the perfect piece to open or close your concert, or to program for any celebratory occasion. Optimistic harmonies and recurring syncopations in the opening section give way to broad, expansive strokes in a brief, contrasting section. A fortissimo climax leads to the welcome return of the jubilant opening theme. The joyful music drives to a sparkling finish, conveying the feeling that anything is possible!

To learn more about Watson's music and activities, visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com.

2017-2018 Belwin and Highland-Etling Orchestra New Releases

A Joyous Celebration

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.

Secret Agent Sugar Plum (String Orchestra, Percussion)

String or Full orchestra, with Soloists (Wingert-Jones, Grade 1.5, with Grade 3 soloists). The "cool department" is (of course) the MUSIC department! In this fun piece for optional full or string orchestra with soloists you and your musicians will show the audience why! Accompanied by playable ensemble parts written in a breezy, swing jazz style, the more challenging solo parts include players from each instrument family: clarinet (woodwind), trumpet (brass), violin (string), and percussion (snare drum with brushes). The infectious, tuneful melody is guaranteed to make this piece a toe-tapping hit with players and audience alike.

In the Cool Department

String orchestra with optional piano (Wingert-Jones, Grade 2). From it's effervescent main theme to its graceful contrasting theme, this well-crafted concert work will have your ensemble singing with classical elegance! While the sound and style evoke the 18th-century, the writing is very approachable by younger performers. 

Festive Intrada is the perfect piece to lend an air of excitement and sophistication to your program for concert, contest, or special occasion. 

See www.scottwatsonmusic.com to learn more.

Festive Intrada

String orchestra, with optional piano (Wingert-Jones, Grade 2). Imagine that, at least in the mind of a child, playing the driedl game at Hanukkah is more than a game - it's and adventure! Strategy is plotted, risks are taken, the battle is on. That is the premise of this epic, rhythmically charged setting of the beloved Hanukkah tune, "S'vivon" (The Dreidl).

Visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com to learn more.

Dreidl Adventure (String Orchestra)

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.

2018-2019 Belwin & Alfred Concert Band New Releases

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.

Festive Intrada

Dr. Scott Watson

Related tracks