Concert Band: Winter/Spring 2026

Band Repertoire

APPALACHIAN MORNING

Robert Sheldon · Directed by John McLellan

The air is crisp, the dew is glistening at this early hour, and the sun is just peaking over the horizon. Opening with a stunning clarinet solo, we paint pictures with this beautiful soundscape from one of the masters of band music. As so many European settlers from Scotland and Ireland made their new homes in the areas surrounding the Cumberland Gap of western Virginia, Sheldon has created a piece that is reflective of Celtic melodies while not actually using one. It is filled with emotive passages designed to help the listener feel like she is crawling out of her tent to build a fire, heat some water for coffee, and just sit and ponder the wonders of nature. Appalachian Morning provides several climactic moments followed by the tenderness of the early morning as the ebb and flow of the natural world supplants the worries of the day before.

Listen

Getting started with this piece (review before first rehearsal)

Before the first rehearsal:

Print your music
Listen to the soundfile
Make any necessary markings

Intonation in the opening measures

Although this piece is in a very comfortable key, one of our biggest problems will present itself in the opening measures. The proper intonation of an “open fifth” can be very hard to achieve.

Solos & musical expression

There are a couple of solos and we should honor these to allow individuals to express a bit of rubato.

The opening clarinet solo which returns in measure 42
Short mimics in trumpet, alto, and clarinet in measures 39-40

Dynamics & phrasing

The expression of dynamic variation will make or break a performance of this gem of a piece. Take special note of

The forte piano of measure 33
The diminuendo of 34 leading into that special key change to concert F major

Notes for Sections & Intruments

Find your instrument—no need to read everything

Flutes

The flutes face some challenging moments in the opening measures!

The flutes are faced with this challenge in the opening nine measures but it’s the first three that are exposed and very difficult to master.
This problem returns in a new key in measure 45, not to mention the fifths with the oboe and bells in measures 41 & 42.

Percussion

This piece gives the percussion some great moments!

We get to use those cool wind chimes
We get to roll on a bass drum using two mallets instead of the usual single beater
Especially exposed, however, is the bell player which we might double lightly in vibes or chimes (we’ll see).

CHILDREN’S MARCH (“Over and Far Away”)

Percy Grainger · Arr. Wagner · Directed by Linda Murdoch

Children’s March (Over the hills and far away) is a wonderful, classic band piece by Percy Grainger, a masterful composer for band. Grainger was an Australian concert pianist who moved to the U.S. in 1914 (and became an American citizen in 1918). In 1917, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a saxophonist in one of its military bands (he also mentions learning to play the oboe, and his hope to learn to play it well enough to play it in the band). After leaving the army in January 1919, he returned to his primary career as a concert pianist, as well as continuing to compose music. In the same year, he scored this piece for band. When we play it, you will notice his involvement with saxophone and oboe, as the melody starts with saxophone and oboe, and then continues with bassoon and bass clarinet. The piece is dedicated “For my playmate beyond the hills.” This person is believed to be a Scandinavian woman with whom he corresponded for 8 years, and the subtitle “Over the hills and far away” is also thought to be a reference to his longing for her.

Listen

Getting started with this piece (review before first rehearsal)

Before the first rehearsal:

Print your music
Listen to the soundfile
Make any necessary markings

Key Structure

You will see that it follows the progression of key changes described above.

Please mark the key signature changes!

Listening

Listen to soundfiles and you can hear the key changes and how it ultimately disappears “over the hills and far away” at the end

Rhythm & meter

The piece is in 6/8 time, and will be conducted in two, and the rhythm will be a bit challenging in many places.

How to practice

When you first look at it, please do NOT practice it at all if you aren’t completely sure on the rhythms, AND also do NOT learn the rhythms by listening to the soundfiles. Instead, I recommend that you do two things before trying to play it:

first, carefully figure out the counting — counting in 6, so you can hear exactly where each of the 8th notes should be placed — and try counting the rhythm slowly without playing it
listen to the piece and try to hear the rhythms, to make sure that you are learning it correctly.

Program Notes

Program Note from a New South Wales Public Schools Symphonic Wind Ensemble Performance

A program note written by Suzanne Sherrington and Brendan Champion for a performance by the New South Wales Public Schools Symphonic Wind Ensemble has this great description of the structure of the piece:

Beginning softly in the bassoon in F Major, Grainger’s folk tune makes its way through the circle of fourths, gaining in excitement through B flat Major, E flat Major and A flat Major before finally returning to B flat Major and gradually disappearing “over the hills and far away.”

The Version We Are Playing

The version of this piece that we will be playing is arranged by Douglas Wagner and is quite true to the original, although it doesn’t include the piano and vocal parts. (It does feature the bassoon & bass clarinet and make extensive use of the saxophones and oboes, though!!) You will see that it follows the progression of key changes described above (hint: please mark the key signature changes!), and when you listen to it you can hear the key changes and how it ultimately disappears “over the hills and far away” at the end.

SALUTE TO LOUIS ARMSTRONG

Arr. Eric Osterling · Directed by Diane Muffitt

This is a medley of four songs performed and written by Louis (Louie) Armstrong.

Did you know... Louis Armstrong was often called “Sachmo” (short for “Satchel Mouth,” referring to his wide grin!).

Listen

Getting started with this piece (review before first rehearsal)

Before the first rehearsal:

Print your music
Listen to the soundfile
Make any necessary markings

Key changes

There are several key changes, so take your pencils and mark in the appropriate flat, sharp or natural on the first few notes of the new key signature. For example:

If it starts in the key of F, with a Bb, and then changes to the key of Bb (Bb, Eb), mark the first 2 or 3 Ebs.
If it goes from the key of Eb (Bb, Eb, Ab) back to Bb (Bb, Eb), mark the first few A naturals.
Don’t just circle the notes, but write in the appropriate symbol.

Accidentals

There are two places with lots of accidentals.

To avoid accidents, look for repeated accidentals (e.g.: if there is an F# early in the measure and another F shows up later in the same measure, that F is also F#, unless it is marked with a natural sign)

Musical styles

“When the Saints Go Marching In” and “St. Louis Blues” are both in swing.
The other two sections are straight eighth notes.

Articulations

As always, be accurate about the articulations (accents, staccatos, legato…). The music is in the details, not the notes!!

Listen to the recordings!!!

The more you listen, the more you will understand the music and the easier it will be to play!

Want to learn more?

Here is some additional information and recordings of the four tunes used in our arrangement.

“What a Wonderful World”

Bob Thiele, using the pseudonym George Douglas, co-wrote the song with George Weiss. Thiele's real name has been used for the composer credits from 1988 onward. Thiele said the following regarding his inspiration for the song: "[I]n the mid-1960s during the deepening national traumas of the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam, racial strife, and turmoil everywhere, my co-writer George David Weiss and I had an idea to write a 'different' song specifically for Louis Armstrong that would be called 'What a Wonderful World.'"[5] Thiele also produced the original recording of the song, using his real name for the production credit. In Graham Nash's book Off the Record: Songwriters on Songwriting, George Weiss says he wrote the song specifically for Louis Armstrong, as he was inspired by Armstrong's ability to bring together people of different races.[6]
(Wikipedia - What a Wonderful World)

The song became more well-known after it appeared in the movie, Good Morning, Vietnam. It has been used in many other movies and TV shows since.

Here are two videos of Louis Armstrong singing the song:
With cuts from Good Morning Vietnam
Studio version

“When the Saints Go Marching In”

This is an old late 1800s African-American Christian spiritual, made famous by Mr. Armstrong in his 1938 recording. He received some push-back for taking a spiritual and putting jazz chords and rhythms to it! (see article below)

This link will take you to a terrific article from the Library of Congress that talks about Louis Armstrong from the time he was a young boy of 11 trying to teach himself cornet playing. He fired a gun in the air during a New Year celebration, got arrested and sent to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys where he spent a year and a half under the tutelage of Peter Davis, who taught him cornet and making music. The rest is history, but interesting history!
Read more at the Library of Congress.

Here is the 1938 recording of “Saints” (It is hard to understand what he is saying, but it is quoted in the article above, page 4, second full paragraph.)

“St. Louis Blues”

Written by W.C. Handy and published in 1914, this was one of the first blues tunes to succeed as a pop tune. The Wikipedia article is filled with information about the tune, the blues form, W.C. Handy and various people who have performed it and made it famous!

Here is one of the most famous recordings (1925) of St. Louis Blues, sung by Bessie Smith (nicknamed, “The Empress of the Blues”) with Louis Armstrong and his orchestra backing her up. Listen for his muted trumpet answers to her vocal lines.

Then listen to this W.C. Handy version (he also played cornet) and notice it has a VERY different tempo and style! One of the fun things about jazz tunes is that the performer puts his/her own spin on the piece, changes parts of it, improvising and taking the tempo that seems right for that person and the situation.

“Hello Dolly”

This song, by Jerry Herman” was from the musical “Hello Dolly” and made famous by Louis Armstrong’s 1964 recording, hitting the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 list (beating out the Beatles!!)
Wikipedia - Hello, Dolly! (song)

“Hello Dolly” was based on Thornton Wilder’s play, “The Matchmaker”. Below is a link to information about the 1969 movie (directed by Gene Kelly!).
Wikipedia - Hello, Dolly! (film)

Here is a great video of Louie playing “Hello Dolly” with his All Stars live in Berlin in 1964.

And the 1964 recording that made him famous!

FANTASIA IN G MAJOR (“THE BACH”)

J.S. Bach · Arr. Goldman & Leist · Directed by Linda Murdoch

Linda says:

So. . . the 4th piece that we will be working on this session is a wonderful (IMO) classic band piece that I fell in love with as a high school student in All-State Band, have never forgotten, and have always wanted to play again. It’s a powerful, emotionally passionate piece of music, and I hope that you will enjoy playing it.

The piece is Bach’s “Fantasia in G Major,” transcribed by Richard Franko Goldman and Robert L. Leist. A note included in the Wind Repertory Project describes the piece as follows:

[Bach’s] great G Major Fantasia for organ was composed between 1703 and 1707 during Bach's residence in Arnstadt. It was here, at the beginning of his career, that his music was found to be too full of "wonderful variations and foreign tones"; and certainly the Fantasia is strikingly dissonant in its constant texture of suspensions. But the breadth of the five-part polyphonic writing and the richness of the harmonic sonority make the Fantasia one of the grandest of all Bach's compositions for organ. It is also one that lends itself most perfectly to the sound and sonorities of the modern wind band.

The transcription by Richard Franko Goldman and Robert L. Leist was undertaken as a memorial to Edwin Franko Goldman, who was the first bandmaster to include the works of Bach regularly in the band's concert repertoire, and who did so much to introduce the music of this great master to wide audiences. In this transcription an attempt is made to recapture the sound of the Baroque organ through the medium of the modern band. The first performance of this transcription was given by The Goldman Band, Richard Franko Goldman conducting, on July 1, 1957.

Note that we will likely just call the piece,"THE BACH" . Using the composer's name when designating a piece in rehearsal is standard procedure for classical music.

Listen

Getting started with this piece (review before first rehearsal)

Before the first rehearsal:

Print your music
Listen to the soundfile
Make any necessary markings

Piece is in G Major

Please note that the piece is in the key of G major. We don’t often play in that key — and everyone will have at least one sharp in the key signature and everyone will have B naturals throughout the piece! The B naturals are particularly tricky as they don’t appear in the key signature — I would recommend marking them!!!

Cut Time

You will note that the piece is written in cut time, but the “Suggestions to the Conductor” in the score suggest that one might “feel a more comfortable pulse in 4,” and we will be doing it in 4/4.

Relatively Uncomplicated?

Most of the parts appear to be relatively uncomplicated — mostly quarter, half, and whole notes — but the piece will be complicated to put together — the musical challenge (and the fun!) will be in working together to find the expressive musical line in each part and, as we did in Shaker Variants and Canterbury Chorale last session, to succeed in playing the interweaving lines in a way that produces passionate musical expression.

Finding Something Too Difficult?

Having said all that, if you are unable to find a part that doesn’t seem too difficult for you, let us know and we will help you modify it!

Note for Sections & Instruments

Find your instrument—no need to read everything

Piccolos & Flutes

In this piece, the piccolo is a separate part, not always with the flutes, so we do need piccolo! The 1st flute part is very high and the 2nd flute part is high.

Oboes

There are two parts, the oboes frequently have the lead-in to a new section of the piece — probably two people on 2nd and one on 1st, but see what you think when you look at the parts.

Clarinets

There are four parts — Solo, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd — as far as I can tell so far, it doesn’t appear that the solo clarinet has a solo but the part is definitely different from the 1st clarinet part and it spends a lot of time up in the stratosphere. The 3rd clarinet part is particularly important in this piece.

Bass Clarinet & Bassoons

These parts are part of the powerful organ-like bass section in the piece, and whenever the piece has only the woodwind section playing, these parts are the entire bass line, and it’s really beautiful. There are two bassoon parts.

Saxophones

Alto saxes have the important middle register expressive melody lines throughout the piece, in some ways similar to Shaker Variants and Canterbury Chorale. Tenors join the altos on some of those, but also have the powerful melodic statements with the trombones in the fortissimo passages. As always, watch out for the sharps! Altos have 4 and tenors have 3.

Trumpets

There are five parts in this piece — Solo & 1st cornet, 2nd cornet, 3rd cornet, and trumpets 1 & 2. There is a short solo in the solo & 1st cornet part, as well as a soli duet with 2nd cornet in another place. We do need all the cornet parts, as well as trumpets 1 & 2. I would suggest one person on trumpet 1 and one person on trumpet 2, and then split up the cornet parts among the rest of you. Trumpets 1 & 2 have nice parts but more rests than the cornet parts. Another thing worth noting is that the solo & 1st cornet part starts on a high A (which is easy to hear, because the low brass have just played it 3 & 4 octaves lower) and has a high B and a high C# as well (at the end, of course!). Trumpet 1 has these at the end, too, but has more rest during the piece. Note that the 2nd cornet part is missing letter C, which should be 11 measures after letter B.

Horns

There are four horn parts with some really beautiful section playing — note the places marked “soli”

Trombones

There are three trombone parts; at the beginning, the third trombone adds to the powerful fortissimo bass note that begins the piece while the 1sts and 2nds come in with the opening melody statement. Note that the 1st trombone part is missing rehearsal letter I, which should be 15 measures after letter H.

Euphonium

At times, a melody part and, at others, part of the powerful bass line, think big organ pipes and expressiveness.

Tuba

The piece arrived with 6 copies of the tuba part, which tells you something about volume!! When there is a choice, please play the lower notes.

Percussion

Four parts — marimba, timpani 1 and timpani 2, and a part with bass drum and suspended cymbal. The timpani parts have been marked up to be played by two people, each playing two drums, in order to double the sound at the beginning and ending of the piece.

Joint Piece (Band & Strings)

POLKA PARTY!

Directed by John McLellan

We will be playing Polka Party! as our joint strings & band piece for the concert. It’s a fun, upbeat, crowd-pleaser—an encore-type piece that will be fun for us to play and fun for the audience to listen to (and dance!).

It’s a medley of three dance pieces—Pennsylvania Polka, Just Because, and the Chicken Dance—and will definitely get your toes tapping. (As the quote attributed to John Philip Sousa says, every concert needs head music, heart music, and foot music—this is definitely in the last category!)

Joint Rehearsals

Getting started with this piece (review before first rehearsal)

Before the first rehearsal:

Print your music
Listen to the soundfile
Make any necessary markings

For flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, horn, or violin

At the end of the Chicken Dance, your part has some fast-moving 8th notes.

Too fast? The music also contains an alternative - the note stems pointing down represent quarter notes that you can play instead of the 8th notes if you need/want to.

Soundfiles

There are two soundfiles available:
One complete soundfile and another just for strings so you can hear it the way it will sound in your rehearsals, without percussion and wind instruments.

See below for practice timings for the soundfiles to help you sync with the music.
Try to listen to the piece before the first rehearsal to get familiar with it
Sound file tip! Use earbuds/headphones when practicing with soundfiles → You will have a better experience!

Make sense? If not, please ask!

Practice Soundfile Timing Guide

Use these timestamps to follow along with the practice soundfile while practicing.

Times may vary slightly on different devices.

Countoff: 0:15
Beginning: 0:19

Pennsylvania Polka

5 — 0:23
13 — 0:31
21 — 0:40
29 — 0:48
37 — 0:56
41 — 1:01
49 — 1:09
57 — 1:17
65 — 1:26
75 — 1:36

Just Because

79 — 1:40
87 — 1:48
95 — 1:57
103 — 2:05

Chicken Dance

111 — 2:13
115 — 2:19
126 — 2:41
134 — 2:49
142 — 2:58