Reprinted with permission, Georgia Music News, Vol. 63, Number 3, Spring, 2003, pp.49-52.

Recent Developments in Band Repertoire
With Recommended Literature for All Grade Levels
Robert J. Ambrose

Of the countless duties and responsibilities bestowed upon the modern-day band director, one of the most important is choosing repertoire. The music we select serves as our curriculum, our text if you will, and dictates the musical diet that our students will consume for the year. In choosing music, many questions must be considered.

• Is the music of appropriate difficulty for the ensemble?
• Is the music educationally sound?
• Is the instrumentation of the group suitable for reasonable re-creating the composer's intentions?
• Does the music provide interesting and challenging parts for all members of the ensemble?
• Does the music provide an element of audience appeal?
• What skills and musical concepts can I teach with this music?
• Am I providing the students with a breadth of musical literature that will expand their understand of various historical time periods and musical styles?

While each of these factors is important, perhaps the most fundamental principle to be considered is the artistic merit of the work. In his recent book, The Winds of Change, Frank Battisti conductor emeritus of the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, states, “All music offers opportunities for growth in musical knowledge and the development of basic musicianship and technical skills, but only great music provides experiences in which students can discover and feel the expressive power of music. Study and performance of high quality music effects an individual’s development of musical values and ‘taste’ in a very positive way” (p. 241).

As each conductor is a distinct human being with different emotions and opinions, our criteria for what constitutes great music will, by nature, vary widely. To discuss a set of factors for determining artistic quality in music is beyond the scope of this short article. However, suffice it to say that taste, to a large extent, is dictated by the depth and breadth of a person’s life experiences both in and out of music.

Recent Factors in Repertoire Development
In the past few years, several important factors have contributed to the rise in artistic merit of much of the band repertory. Undoubtedly the greatest advancement has been brought about by the sheer numbers of prominent composers turning to the band as an artistic medium for which to write. Some examples include Pulitzer Prize winners John Harbison, William Bolcom, and George Walker, as well as Michael Daugherty, David Maslanka, Augusta Reed Thomas, Michael Torke, Dan Welcher, David Gillingham, and Joan Tower. Whether responding to a commission for a specific work or their own internal desire to write for winds, these composers have produced some very compelling works for winds in the past several years, and a number of these works are accessible to middle school and high school bands. This year, David Rakowski’s wind band work Ten of a Kind (Symphony No. 2) was nominated as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in music. It may be only a matter of time before a band work is chosen for this coveted award.

Another important factor has been the establishment of the BandQuest initiative by the American Composers Forum (www.bandquest.org). Through this program, the Forum commissioned 10 leading composers to write works for middle school band. These included Libby Larsen, Thomas Duffy, Chen Yi, Judith Zaimont, Robert Xavier Rodriguez, Alvin Singleton, Brent Michael Davids, Tania Leon, Adolphus Hailstork, and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Colgrass. After completing the work, each composer took part in a residency with a host middle school. They visited the schools, discussed their music with the students, and played an integral role in shaping the performances that resulted.

To date, three of these compositions have been published, each with an accompanying CD-ROM designed to help the conductor teach the music through a range of interdisciplinary materials. The remaining seven compositions are due to be released this fall. The works are of grade level two or three. (The BandQuest music is available through Hal Leonard at www.halleonard.com.)

Yet another stop has been the development of the Windependence Series by Boosey and Hawkes, under the supervision of Craig Kirchhoff, director of bands at the University of Minnesota. With three distinct levels of music (Apprentice, Master, and Artist), this collection provides the middle school, high school, and university band director with quality repertoire by leading composers of our time. These include Alan Fletcher, Jeffrey Brooks, and Shafer Mahoney. Currently the Windependence catalogue contains nine works. (For details, visit www.boosey.com; click on “Publications” and then “Windependence Series.”)

Conclusion
The trends listed above are but some of the many important factors that have contributed to an ever-increasing body of quality works for band. Clearly, we are on the cusp of great development in our literature. If we are committed to exposing our students to the best music available in our medium, then we must work tirelessly to seek out great music at every turn. Only through such music can we hope to cultivate in these musicians an understanding and taste for high quality. This is not to suggest that we cannot program other types of works; for example, ones chosen specifically for audience appeal. Certainly these pieces also have a place in our curriculum. It is only to say that we must choose and program our music with great care and with an eye, and ear, for quality.

Recommended Repertoire
The works below represent a small sample of the many quality pieces written recently for band. The choice of compositions is based on artistic merit, and works for each grade level are included.

Grade 1
Canticle, by Douglas E. Wagner
Duration: about 3 minutes
Publisher: Belwin-Mills, distributed by Warner Brothers
(www.warnerbrospublications.com)

A canticle is defined as “a song of chant, especially a nonmetrical hymn with words taken from a biblical text other than the Book of Psalms” (Lexico LLC). Douglas Wagner’s work succeeds brilliantly in recreating this style within the confines of the beginning band student’s technical ability. The lyrical writing will challenge the student to maintain breath support, but the parts are technically easy enough so that attention can be paid to creating lines and motion. The regular four-bar phrases and frequent harmonic cadences present the students with many opportunities to develop phrasing ideas and musical sensitivity at the early stage of their musical development. Each wind part is written within an octave range, using notes most commonly taught in the first year of band instruction. Dynamic and expression markings are extensive but still afford the beginner the opportunity to add his or her own nuances to the music. The rhythmic pulse lies primarily at the eighth and quarter note levels, with sixteenth notes being sounded occasionally in the snare drum.

Grade 2
A+: A “Precise” Prelude and an “Excellent” March, by Thomas C. Duffy
Duration: 3 minutes, 17 seconds
Publisher: American Composers Forum, distributed by Hal Leonard
(www.halleonard.com)

A+ was commissioned by the American Composers Forum for their BandQuest project. The premise behind the piece is simple: music performance requires a level of perfection that far surpasses any “traditional” academic subject. In the program notes the composer states: “In academics…the grade of A+ is awarded for achievement in the area of 97-100%. This means that…the highest possible grade can be awarded to work or achievement that contains up to 3% error!…Can you imagine a musical performance with 1% error, never mind 3%?…There are 8665 notes in this piece. If one considers that each note has a [pitch], dynamic, articulation, and rhythm component…the possible execution opportunities [are]…25,995!…3% error in this case would equal 779 mistakes—a rate of performance that would qualify for an A+ in the academic world but would probably result in the conductor of the ensemble receiving a pink slip…Nevertheless, by all academic standards, the performance of this march, with anything less that 779 mistakes, will be excellent.”

A+ is written in two sections. The opening prelude, described by the composer as “Precisely imprecise,” contains several free time sections in which the brass play fragments of the march theme against a tapestry of pentatonic figurations in the woodwinds. A brief snare drum transition leads directly into the first presentation of the march which is performed without error. After a brief pause, the march is repeated with each musicians making one mistake. The resulting performance is cacophonous if not slightly humorous.

A+ is not technically demanding. The ranges for all instruments are extremely modest, and almost all of the rhythms are at the quarter- and eighth-note level. Duffy has scored the work so that several of the instruments, including horn, oboe, and bass clarinet, are optional. A+ is a unique addition to the young band repertory.

Grade 3
Spring Festival, by Chen Yi
Duration: 3 minutes, 2 seconds
Publisher: American Composers Forum, distributed by Hal Leonard

Chinese-American composer Chen Yi wrote Spring Festival in response to a commission by the American Composers Forum for a middle school band work as part of the Forum’s BandQuest project. The musical material is drawn from a southern Chinese fold ensemble piece called Lion Playing Ball, and the form is constructed using the mathematical scheme called the Golden Section. This short work calls for traditional Chinese instruments such as Beijing opera gongs and Chinese cymbals, but the composer does allow for substitutions. The four distinct percussion parts are an integral part of the work.

The wind section is scored modestly, with single parts for oboe, bassoon, and horn. Woodwinds are required to execute both trills and mordents, though none are too technically demanding. The range for the first trumpet is up to A5, and there are a few difficult leaps in the tune (from G4 up to F5, for example), but the overall writing is a very accessible grade 3. With an accompanying CD-ROM, this work is an outstanding vehicle for teaching not only musical concepts, but also Chinese musical traditions.

Grade 4
Amazing Grace, arr. William Himes
Duration: 3 minutes, 30 seconds
Publisher: Rosehill
(www.rosehillmusic.com)

Amazing Grace was originally written for brass band, but in 2001 Himes rescored the piece for winds and percussion. Although listed by the publisher as a Grade 3 work, the music is actually fairly demanding, most notably in the euphonium writing, which contains several forays up to A4. The English horn and second euphonium parts, which important, are doubled throughout in other instruments and can be omitted.

The tune is stated three times with increasingly thicker scoring before subsiding into a gentle codetta. The accompaniment provides all members of the ensemble with musically interesting parts. The opening of the work is scored in trumpets and horns alone and requires great breath support and beauty of tone from all players. In the ensuing sections, Himes brilliantly exploits the color combinations of the band, providing a lush tapestry over which the simple tune is cast.

ufo dreams, by David Maslanka
Duration: about 16 minutes
Publisher: Carl Fischer
(www.carlfischer.com)

ufo dreams is a stirring and musically diverse concerto for euphonium and band. The piece is case in three movements that follow a typical concerto format of fast-slow-fast. The first movement, “Fantasy Variations: The Water is Wide,” is based on an English folk song. “Home Planet-Where Do You Come From? Who Are You?” acts as a dark and distant contrast to the first movement, and the thematic material is drawn from a simple three-note gesture. The third movement, “Variations: From the Bottom of My Heart,” is based on Bach’s chorale by the same title.

Maintaining accurate pitch through the many unison sections will be one of the major challenges. In addition, strong trumpet and also saxophone soloists are a must. As is typical with Maslanka’s music, percussion plays an important role, and the scoring calls for 23 different instruments, including piano.

ufo dreams is an outstanding example of Maslanka’s ability to write a well-shaped and artistically compelling piece of music for high school students. Most of the ensemble writing is not technically demanding. The solo euphonium part, however, is quite difficult and probably beyond the technical capabilities of most high school students. With that in mind, the director may wish to program this piece as a feature for a guest artist.

Grade 5
Behind the Blue Sky, by Nickitas J. Demos
Duration: about 8 minutes
Publisher: available from the composer, ndemos@gsu.edu

According to Atlanta-based composer Nickitas J. Demos, the inspiration for Behind the Blue Sky came from a question posed by his five-year-old son. He elaborates in the notes to the score: “As we were traveling one sunny afternoon in the car, [my son] grew silent and then asked, ‘What’s behind the blue sky?…’ The beautiful poetry of the question continued to occupy my mind. This simple and innocent question from a small child is essentially the same question humanity has grappled with since recorded history.”

With Behind the Blue Sky, Demos displays the band’s diverse sound capabilities, juxtaposing delicately scored sections with powerful tutti climaxes. The widely varied emotional palette of the piece is one of the many factors that make it so compelling. The music is characterized by ostinati accompanied with fast-moving lines, and hocket-type passages. While most of the wind pipes are scored within the range of the typical high school musician, the first clarinet and saxophones are asked to play extremely high at times.

The piece demands clarity of articulation in all dynamic ranges. The frequent exposed unison and octave gestures require a combination of accurate pitch, good tone quality, and the ability to balance within sections. The percussion writing is extensive, and these instruments provide both rhythmic drive and musical color throughout the work. Piano is an integral part of the instrumentation and can present some technical challenges in the frequent 16th-note passages. Endurance, especially for the upper woodwinds, is another factor as some of these instruments play almost constantly throughout the piece. The primary challenge of the work lies in attaining precision between the sections of the ensemble. Behind the Blue Sky is deeply evocative music and well worth exploring.

Song (for band), by William Bolcom
Duration: about 5 minutes
Publisher: Marks Music and Bolcom Music, distributed by Hal Leonard

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom is professor of composition at the University of Michigan. He composed Song (for band) in 2001 to honor the retirement of H. Robert Reynolds from the directorship of the Michigan bands. According to Reynolds, Bolcom first approached him with the idea of writing a fanfare. At Reynolds’ behest, the composer instead created a beautifully lyrical song.

Song is not a technically difficult work. The challenges lie more in pacing, handling the frequent and delicate cadences, and maintaining the breath support necessary to sustain the florid moving lines. Pitch will also present a challenge, as several sections are very transparent and there is a good deal of chromaticism in the accompaniment. Although scored more heavily in woodwinds than brass, the opening statement requires four very strong horn players, and the first trumpet part rises to at E6 about two-thirds of the way through the piece. Bolcom does provide an ossia part for this instrument which is written an octave lower, but this is not a desirable, as it scores the second, third, and fourth trumpets above the first. The musical reward will be well worth the effort required to perform this musically challenging music.

Sparkle, by Shafer Mahoney
Duration: about 4 minutes, 15 seconds
Publisher: Boosey and Hawkes, in the Windependence Series
(www.boosey.com)

Driven by a sublime percussion ostinato and alternating ribbons of scalar passages between flutes and clarinets, Sparkle can serve equally well as an opener or closer to almost any program. The work is scored for a slightly enlarged wind band including three flutes, four clarinets, four trumpets, piano, and a vast array of percussion. (Note that tuba mutes are required). The music is rather transparent, with many of the instruments resting for over half of the work’s duration.

This piece is difficult in many ways. The running 16th note passages in the flutes and clarinets present some tricky finger combinations and getting an entire section to play these figures together will take considerable effort. While range is mostly modest, first alto saxophone is written up to F6, first and second trumpets have several B5 pitches in unison, and first and second horns must be able to slur to C6. Establishing and maintaining the quiet rhythmic intensity of the work is of utmost importance and will challenge the percussion section. The saxophone and trumpet sections have 8-measure gestures consisting of slurred off-beats that can be difficult to execute. The work alternates between the written key signatures of C major and D-flat major. As a result, pitch may present some issues, especially in the more lightly scored sections.

Grade 6
Song without Words, by Dan Welcher
Duration: about 15 minutes
Publisher: available from composer, dwelcher@aol.com

Song without Words was commissioned by a consortium of high school and college wind ensembles and received its premiere performance on February 24, 2002, at the College Band Directors National Association convention in Denton, Tex. The work is characteristic of much of Welcher’s work in its rhythmic displacement of strong beats, use of ostinati, and contemporary harmonic language. The entire five-movement work requires musical maturity, strong soloists, and technical facility from all members of the ensemble.

The work is subtitled Five Mood Pieces for Wind Ensemble, and the descriptive titles for each movement elucidate the intended feel. The first movement, “Manic,” is rhythmically charged and does not relent from the established tempo of quarter note = 138+. The composer has added the word “wired” next to the tempo marking to further describe the desired effect. The juxtaposition of fierce, biting 8th note gestures with stark silences creates music that succeeds in portraying the title. The upper woodwinds require very nimble fingers to execute some of the 16th note passages, and all of the wind instruments are required to flutter tongue. In addition, crisp, clear articulations are required of all the winds.

Robert J. Ambrose is director of bands at Georgia State University.

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