This delightful “polka schnell” from Josef Strauss will put smiles on the faces of audiences and performers! Lighthearted and full of humor, this sparkling piece will get toes tapping throughout the audience. An excellent closer or encore selection for any concert performance. Great fun!

Recorded by The Washington Winds, Edward S. Petersen, conductor

Click here to purchase: https://barnhouse.com/product/012-5051-00/

Happy Go Lucky

Canadian composer Kenley Kristofferson was commissioned to write "The Meeting Place," a work depicting the connection between people and the warmth and security of a shared space – 
in this case, the band room. The music celebrates these places which can feel like home, welcome all kinds of people, make them feel like a part of something bigger than themselves, and hold special power for us to feel safe and connected. With lush harmonies and song-like melodies, this ballad gives everyone in the band a chance to shine and contribute to a shared story about, for some of them, one of their most cherished spaces. Performers and audiences alike are sure to love this piece. Moving music!

Recorded by The Washington Winds, Edward S. Petersen, conductor

Click here to purchase: https://barnhouse.com/product/012-4992-00/

The Meeting Place

An absolutely stunning programmatic piece depicting a futuristic voyage to the sixth planet, “Saturn: The Ringed Planet” has become a classic for concert and festival use! Powerful scoring, stark musical contrasts, driving rhythms, and varied textures all combine to portray the dramatic journey, as well as the beauty and mystique of this mysterious and alluring planet. This arrangement for the Build-A-Band series ensures success even with the most awkward of instrumentation. Creative use of percussion greatly adds to the drama and intensity. This is a work of uncommon quality!

Recorded by The Washington Winds, Edward S. Petersen, conductor

Click here to purchase: https://barnhouse.com/product/026-5032-00/

Saturn: The Ringed Planet

One of Quincy Hilliard’s most exciting compositions, “Variations on an African Hymnsong” has been skillfully arranged for the flexible instrumentation “Build-A-Band series by Jimi Bergeron. Based on a Nigerian folk hymn, this very appealing selection features interesting harmonies, beautiful tone colors and driving polyrhythms, all combine to make this a stunning work for band, especially for groups with large percussion sections. Give your students a glimpse of music from another culture rarely heard or performed by wind bands. Perfect for contest or concert use. Truly exceptional!

Recorded by The Washington Winds, Edward S. Petersen, conductor

Click here to purchase: https://barnhouse.com/product/026-5037-00/

Variations On An African Hymnsong

Recorded by The Studio “A” Big Band, Ed Petersen, director

Rampart Street Revival (Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing)

“Light Cavalry Overture” contains some of the best-known melodies of the classical repertoire, and this “Gems of the Concert Band” arrangement by Andrew Glover presents this time-honored classic in an accessible arrangement for band. After a dramatic opening featuring brass fanfares, the famous cavalry theme kicks in. Great fun for performers and a treat for audiences, this is a great way to introduce your ensemble to this famous classic work. Top notch!

Recorded by The Washington Winds, Edward S. Petersen, conductor

Click here to purchase: https://barnhouse.com/product/012-5133-00/

Light Cavalry Overture

Veteran composer David Holsinger’s “Overture To A Mystery” pays homage to the classic mystery thrillers, crime novels, film noir movies, and pulp magazine serials in his charming and impeccable style. Everybody in the band is a “suspect” in this musical “whodunit.” Fun to play, and not overly difficult, this is a truly unique work that will be a favorite of audiences and performers alike. Don’t miss this one!

Recorded by The Washington Winds, Edward S. Petersen, conductor

Click here to purchase: https://barnhouse.com/product/012-5130-00/

Overture For A Mystery

Pierre La Plante’s wonderful “Foundation” presents an opportunity for performers and audiences to explore a beloved hymn tune dating back to the early 1800’s. Known as "How Firm A Foundation" or “Ye Saints of the Lord,” this outstanding concert band setting is everything you would expect from this master composer. The theme is introduced by the brass in a simple presentation of the tune, followed by various musical reflections both lyrical and capricious, and featuring a grand conclusion. An excellent choice for any performance! Not to be missed!

Recorded by The Washington Winds, Edward S. Petersen, conductor

Click here to purchase: https://barnhouse.com/product/012-5078-00/

Foundation (Reflections On An Old American Hymn)

The oratorical genius of Abraham Lincoln changed the course of history with The Gettysburg Address. “A New Birth of Freedom” by Rob Romeyn honors Lincoln’s historic vision for the country in the post-Civil War era of reconstruction and dedicates itself to that noble cause. After a short introduction, a rudimentary solo section is featured on a theme that is reminiscent of the fife and drum musical style of Lincoln’s time. This theme is developed upon as the music unfolds, gradually building and leading to a glorious, powerful, and dramatic apex. The work then moves to a restatement of that same fife and drum section on which it began, this time leading to a reflective and contemplative conclusion. A truly outstanding work that will bring a touch of class and nobility to any concert or festival performance! Outstanding!

Recorded by The Washington Winds, Edward S. Petersen, conductor

Click here to purchase: https://barnhouse.com/product/012-5074-00/

A New Birth Of Freedom (Gettysburg, 1863)

Lisa Galvin’s latest programmatic work, “Excursion!” takes us for a ride on the Erie Canal. Drawing on themes from the well-known “Erie Canal” folk song, this frolicking work transforms that theme into a celebration of the famous stretch of waterway and those who built it. A piccolo soloist gives a nod to the Irish heritage of the workers, and a challenging clarinet solo harkens a raucous German polka that has this work driving to a fun and exhilarating ending! An excellent choice for festival or concert performance! Stunning!

Recorded by The Washington Winds, Edward S. Petersen, conductor

Click here to purchase: https://barnhouse.com/product/012-5066-00/

New tracks tagged #grade 3.5