Fanfare.5 is exactly what it says - a beginner (0.5) band’s first taste of a spectacular concert program piece!

Composed for a Junior Band workshop, the Fanfare is highlighted with
call and response, layering and clever dynamic changes to create a simple, yet inspiring work to be treasured by both performers and audience!

Follow this well-known story from the Giant’s viewpoint - upon discovering the intruder, he chases Jack down the beanstalk, only to find that the boy is already chopping it down... (It doesn’t look good!)

This piece for beginner band centres around the simple rhythmic motif of “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!” - both shouted (use your best Giant voice…)and played throughout the band, accenting the ever-increasing drama of the Giant’s attempt to catch Jack before it’s too late!

Composed using only 6 notes, a predictable dynamic progression and lots of fun, this is sure to be a concert and contest favourite!

What makes it interesting? Write a catchy description to grab your audience's attention...

After mastering their first 6 notes, “Sneaky Breeze” will challenge young musicians to include ties across bar lines, as well as crescendos and decrescendos,  to create the soundscape of a building storm.

While the suggested ‘random pressing of keys, pads, strings, chimes and heads’ across the band will create an amazing stormy soundscape, experimentation is encouraged!

It is the Australian National Anthem. Featuring… the assembled singers!

Perfect for the junior school band, this arrangement is playable by all levels of musicians - from players with only 6 notes, to those more experienced and able to cope with a wider range.

And, of course, the singers - for whom this work is really composed - provide the melody!

(“Solo” melody parts are also included for advancing performers.)

The instant ‘performability’ of this piece for young bands is a winner. Your students will amaze themselves at how soon they can be performing with their peers at assembly!

War Path - let nothing get in your way…
While this piece for advancing Level 1 Concert Band tells of a ominous, relentless army, it also features a plaintive theme (bar 25) for the innocents caught in the path - ensure that the contrast is clear and emotive.

As always, confidence is key! Encourage young performers to be bold in their expression of the music (but watch the timing - while there is nothing outside the scope of Level 1, remind players that every note and rest exists for the overall effect of the piece… and above all, enjoy telling the story!

T-minus 2 minutes and counting... 
 
Experience the energy and excitement of a launch preparation - the busy-ness  captured by various simple motivic phrases being played throughout the band.  
 
Of course, the piece culminates in the Lift Off itself: long bass notes juxtaposed with simple, broken eighth note patterns in the upper registers reveal the expanse of space, supporting the soaring melodic phrases within.  But wait… the journey leads to a finale that will leave audiences breathless! 
 
The ‘deceptively simple’ arrangement of this score will make it a must for Level 1 bands who are looking for an achievable challenge!

The grandiosity and pomp of the early pioneers of flying machines must have been something to behold! “First Flight” introduces this flying machine with an opening fanfare, followed by take-off and flight. After some fancy aerobics, the plane returns to the ground with a confident and successful landing!

With parts set in comfortable range, bands can focus on using dynamics and phrasing to create the sounds of expectation, drama and soaring that will truly lift this piece off the ground!

Get ready to run!  The chase is on - don’t get caught, and don’t stop to catch your breath for too long… you never know what’s waiting around the corner! 

This piece for junior band features easy melodic lines within a limited range, plus the challenge of driving rhythms supported throughout the ensemble. While all sections are featured stylistically, the beginning mallet percussionist will definitely lead the chase in this nail-biter!

Noble, monk, then pirate: from the early 13th century emerges the true story of Eustace - a pirate who wasn't afraid to switch sides for a fight (and then celebrate into the night!)

Featuring original themes, call and response phrases, simple time changes and homages to several well-known piratey motifs (how many can you pick?), this achievable piece will engage and challenge developing bands...

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...and YES, you have to do the “Arr’s”!

The notion of  a ‘quest’ has always had the romantic tones of adventure with uncertainty, overcoming adversity, and rising above the odds to win the ultimate prize!

 This piece paints the same emotive picture: after a solemn opening (as the Quest is accepted), the band moves into a theme pulsing with energy, with an ever growing sense of momentum.
As with any Quest, there is a moment of uncertainty when the outcome is in the balance, however this resolves through the final push, ending with a resounding statement of success.

 Featuring call and response block harmonies, and an energetic, syncopated motif, “This Quest I Take” will be a popular concert or contest piece for developing bands!

I know it’s early, but… Watch the conductor!

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This introductory jazz piece for young bands is inspired by those (brass?!) musicians who may still be just a bit sleepy during morning band practice...

With plenty of scope for acting up by both performers and conductor, there is still plenty of technique to focus on - the ‘doo-dat’ of jazz quavers, sectional dynamics, playing soli (and drum kit solo) passages, all within a manageable range for all parts.

Conductors, please feel free to ‘overact’ and exaggerate the humour of the theme for a humorous showpiece, or play it straight through as a shorter performance item—it will work well either way.

Life is short. Life is hectic.

It often has many moving parts,

and it doesn’t always turn out quite as expected…

This fast-paced piece features recurring motifs with an ever-building orchestration, highlighted by modulation and countermelody. Playable by an advancing band, this will be the perfect opener or finale to your program!

After a visit to the Central Highlands Eisteddfod in the coal mining town of Blackwater, Queensland, I was struck by how the mine’s impressive pit could dictate the way of life for an entire township - the sounds, the business, the lifestyle.

Percussive, mechanical ostinati combine with persistent motives to reflect this ‘day-in-the-life’ homage to the towns and people involved in regional industry.

“...I will be there to greet you in the morning;

I’ll be there through the shadows of your day.

So, my child, know that I am with you -

Come the sun, come the weather, come what may…”

‘The Last Sunbeam’ follows the metaphor of one pleading for the Sun not to set, but to keep them warm through the cold of night. This piece reflects then Sun’s reply: optimistic yet emotive; reflective yet full of hope.

While simple in rhythm, ‘The Last Sunbeam’ will challenge the senior school band to achieve textural balance throughout, culminating in an uplifting journey for both audience and performers.

Everyone loves a trip to the seaside!

Experience the sounds of the waves, the excitement of playing on the beach -
and, of course Dad’s peaceful snooze in the sun… which is rudely interrupted by the splash of the rising swell…

Have another play in the sand, and get caught off guard by the ‘Stravinsky-esque’
afternoon storm which rolls in! Quickly pack up and get out of there!

This programmatic piece for a senior high school band features memorable
motifs for all sections, and will prove a winner for concert or competition alike