Concert Band for Beginners

Castle on the Cliff is a piece reflecting the many sieges on castles in medieval history. The piece begins with a fierce opening, setting the ‘menacing' mood of a war between an army (the winds) and...

This is an edition of the Canadian national anthem that is playable by young, inexperienced musicians. They key has been selected to keep notes within a reasonable range for developing players. It als...

According to ancient Chinese mythology the universe was divided into four quadrants called the Four Celestial Palaces, each represented by a guardian animal: Dragon, Phoenix, Tiger and Tortoise. The W...

Knights and Castles is a fun piece for very young band using only the first 6 notes introduced most method books. Melody is found throughout the ensemble including all the low voices! Dynamic and arti...

Fury of the Storm is a great piece to challenge and introduce beginning band musicians to music with multiple elements occurring simultaneously. The piece consists of mainly two themes that are perfor...

The Intrepid is a piece that is aggressive in nature, designed to depict someone that is brave, therefore a majority of the music is to be played bold and crisp. Strong rhythmic unisons, fun parts for...

This piece was written to provide an opportunity for young bands to work on a variety of articulations and dynamic contrasts while enjoying the dialogue between the different choirs in the band. Your...

Giant s Lair is an edgy and exciting piece for very young band to perform on one of their first concerts. The melodic material in the outer sections portrays an agitated giant stopping around violentl...

This piece is light hearted and bouncy and could resemble the feelings and senses a child might have when exploring a candy shop; different colors, sights, smells and of course, tastes! The piece is e...

Four notes and a few simple rhythms. Follow that with three notes and some cool harmony. Add a pinch of fun for percussionists. That s all it ll take for your young musicians and their brains will be...

Renaissance music for very young bands! In common time with a contrasting 3/4 section, this modal piece will give your beginning group that full band sound. Percussion is scored for bells, tom-tom, ba...

Who doesn t love a cha cha? This one takes place in the streets of Cuba with infectious rhythms and a lot of cowbell. Go on a cha cha holiday with your band and you ll have the audience dancing in the...

Think cowboys, horses and the Wild West. There s a ton of musical fun here for percussion along with contrasting themes and melancholy solos for flute and alto saxophone. The low winds even get some a...

This energetic piece is a simulation of a horse race. All the emotions and thrill of a race can be felt in this work. This piece for very young band and optional choir was commissioned by Northern Dan...

Scotland's Loch Ness may have the fame as far as lake monsters go but, for many monster searchers, Ogopogo - a creature said to lurk in Canada's Lake Okanagan (in British Columbia) - is most likely th...

The dragon dance is often part of a parade during Chinese New Year and other special events. It is performed by a team of skilled dancers using poles to manipulate a long flexible figure of a dragon....

Commemoration is a simple piece that can be used to teach students different articulations, dynamics, rhythmic styles, and balance. Following the fanfare-like introduction, the piece is composed using...

Red Prelude was composed to be performed on a beginner band's first concert. The composer's overarching goal was 1) to create a piece that is accessible for students that have been playing for less th...

The Haunting of Keg Mansion opens by setting up the chilling sensation of a haunted mansion: dark harmonies and powerful dynamics. The main melody is quick and fidgety, much like that of a mischievous...

Motitus is Finnish military slang describing the tactic of totally encircling an enemy unit, in effect, an entrapment. This piece is composed to create the musical depiction of an army trapping its en...

Ritual and Dance is a simple yet fun piece for young musicians. The opening measures create the dark, ritualistic feel of the piece with the rhythmic figure and open fifths being played by the ensembl...

Exuberance is the perfect piece to introduce young performers to band music. Focusing on the first seven pitches introduced in most method books, this piece makes use of simple compositional technique...

Even the youngest concert band can perform this glorious piece in a concert or to celebrate a big event. Gaudeamus Igitur is a popular school song in Europe, often sung in Latin at graduation ceremoni...

In ancient Greece an agora was a central meeting place to discuss affairs of state, where business was conducted and people could listen to philosophers. It later evolved into a marketplace where merc...