Compiled and Arranged by Franco Cesarini. During his experience as a band conductor and teacher of wind orchestra conducting at university, Franco Cesarini has dealt with the topic of warm-ups very frequently. Throughout these long years of conducting he has had the opportunity to try many existing methods, evaluating their advantages and disadvantages. After a long time, he has decided to compile a collection of chorales for warm-ups, which are organized according to the criteria that he considers most effective. While working on his60 Warm-up Chorales for Concert Band, Franco Cesarini has always borne in mind that amateur musicians play for pleasure. He feels that it is extremely important that they have satisfaction at every moment of the rehearsal and not to start the rehearsal with needless "punishing" exercises. Nobody is really motivated to start playing with scales, long notes, or tricky rhythmical exercises. There is often a distinguished absentee in band rehearsals, namely music itself! Although this publication does not foresee a specific tempo for the chorales, they should often be performed rather slowly but without dragging. Dynamics are not indicated, so that the conductor has the opportunity to draw the attention of the musicians to his gestures and to make them react according to his indications. Timpani and bell parts have been added with the aim of not leaving the percussionists completely inactive during the warm-up phase, but can also be omitted. The chorales are written in four parts (SATB) and are also playable in smaller groups. The four voices can be played in different combinations of woodwinds or brass quartets or in mixed combinations. The collection includes ten chorales for the following keys: D flat major, A flat major, E flat major, B flat major, F major and C major. With his 60 Warm-up Chorales Franco Cesarini would like to convey the message to play the chorales in a musical way, thus raising the musicians? awareness of phrasing, the right interpretation of cadences, rubato and agogic. Above all, never do anything without putting the musical aspect in the foreground. 60 Warm-up Chorales for Concert Band: A perfect collection to warm-up and improve tuning of a concert band!

“I wrote The Nonantum Bulgar in response to a request for a klezmer-style piece for middle school band. Since my local middle school (F. A. Day) is located in close proximity to Nonantum the oldest area of Newton MA Idecided to imagine the dedication of the Adams St. Shul our city's oldest synagogue which took place around a hundred years ago (December 15 1912). According to the Yiddish and English poster announcing the dedication theevent featured the a prominent Boston cantor and choir and a klezmer orchestra leading a 'Grand March' down Adams St. The piece tries to re-create what the klezmer band might have played on that occasion.A Bulgar is aRomanian Jewish Dance that was very popular among Jewish immigrants at the beginning of the twentieth century. The trumpet solo that opens the piece is a typical rubato prelude with the trumpet playing 'cantorial-style' Jewishornaments and phrasing in the manner of Eastern-European Jewish prayer leaders. Once the dance starts the piece is underscored with a Romanian Jewish 'Bulgaresca' rhythm heard in the trombone snare drum and tympani. The'bulgar' section of the piece begins with a typical klezmer band orchestration of the time featuring solo clarinet (played with a somewhat nasal tone) trumpet (or even more ideally cornet) trombone saxophone tuba andpercussion. The percussion section is prominently featured in the third strain. In the final round of the opening melody the band slows down in the manner of a Russian 'Grand March ' bringing the piece to a proud and majesticconclusion.” --Hankus Netsky