Dan Welcher’s most enduringly and frequently played orchestral work, Prairie Light is a fascinating musical companion to three of Georgia O’Keeffe’s most unusual paintings, Light Coming on the Plains, Canyon with Crows, and Starlight Night. This work is ideal for performances using visual projections of the paintings, and is frequently programmed for subscription concerts as well as those for educational settings. Duration: 14’ Parts available on rental.
This work for full orchestra was inspired by three paintings of the noted Americanartist Georgia O’Keeffe. These three watercolors were done in 1917 while the artist was living in Canyon, Texas (near Amarillo), and deal primarily with color and shape. Consequently, the music is primarily concerned with broad lines and shapes rather than rhythms, with subtle washes of color rather than constant harmonic movement, and with arching melody instead of linear counterpoint.The first movement, Light Coming on the Plains, is an elliptical-shaped painting, deep blue to indigo with a “horizon” at the bottom that seems flat and unchanging. The sun hasn’t risen yet, although it does in the course of this movement, but it seems instead to be providing light from behind the canvas. The music is unmoving in terms of rhythm or harmony (although there is a modulation midway through), a color-infused mantra of sound that is almost Eastern.At the height of the sun, we proceed to the second movement, entitled Canyon with Crows. The canyon is red-orange, with black crows circling above friendly unfolding hills. The music is gentle but lively and more rhythmic, with the birds represented by solo oboe, clarinet, and sometimes flute. Halfway through, the brass have a chorale version of the opening motive, played very slowly, over the unending triplets of woodwinds and strings. At the end of the movement, the birds return for a duo-cadenza, accompanied by the dying rays of the sun in muted strings and the ongoing triplets of the solo quartet.The stage is set for the final movement, Starlight Night. In O’Keeffe’s painting, the stars are represented by regularly-spaced rectangles of bright pale yellow on a blue-black sky, with the same shape to the field of vision and the horizon that is found in Light Coming on the Plains. The stars become audible: harp, celesta, glockenspiel, and string pizzicati all lend a sparkle while a solo flute introduces a slowly unfolding theme. After this theme has been heard twice and the sky has begun to really brighten, there is a sudden interruption: a xylophone and a piano begin another “mantra” in brittle staccato chords. This is the same mechanical eternity as O’Keeffe’s regularly-spaced square stars, and it continues on its own as the night progresses. The music builds and grows as the moon rises and arcs, then falls as the pre-dawn light that opened the work returns to bring it to a close. Acycle of light, changing with the movements of sun, moon, and stars, appearing differently from various points of view

Grade 3

SKU: CL.012-4747-00

Composed by J. Bell. Concert Band. Concert Band Series. Score and set of parts. Composed 2020. Duration 3 minutes, 43 seconds. Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications #012-4747-00. Published by Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications (CL.012-4747-00).

As The Last Light Fades is a programmatic work, capturing the gradual shift when the sunset gives way to a brief moment of twilight, and the stars begin to take their place in the heavens waiting for darkness to blanket the sky. As the sun starts to descend beyond the horizon, a light rainfall plays percussively on the leaves hanging above. The music conveys the feeling of peace and tranquility that one can only really experience in nature, an ethereal and almost transcendent connection, undisturbed by the disruptions of the modern world.

Chamber Music Bass Clarinet, Clarinet, Flute, Percussion, Piano, Violin, Violoncello, alto Flute

SKU: PR.11441930S

Composed by Stacy Garrop. Full score. With Standard notation. 40 pages. Duration 13:15. Theodore Presser Company #114-41930S. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.11441930S).

UPC: 680160673537. 9 x 12 inches.

Written during a residence at an artist community in the isolation of Wyoming, Postcards from Wyoming is an impression of the wilderness and beauty of the surrounding landscape and its inhabitants. Written for Pierre ensemble with percussion, Postcards includes High Plains Prairie (a harsh landscape which reveals glimpses of beauty upon closer examination), Call of the Wild (animals from snakes to horses and cows populate the environment), and The Solitude of Stars (capturing the infinite awe of the night sky).
In 2014, I enjoyed a wonderful residence at the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming. Ucross is an artist colony that gives writers, composers, and visual artists the gift of time, space, and support to follow their artistic pursuits; we are provided with studio space, housing, and meals so that we can work almost continuously on our projects. I have been in residence at numerous artist colonies; however, nothing in my previous experiences prepared me for living in such isolated, wild country. Ucross is situated on a 20,000-acre cattle ranch at nearly 4,000 feet in elevation with fewer than 150 people living within the town. But what Clearmont lacks in population, it makes up for abundantly and spectacularly in wilderness and wildlife. Postcards from Wyoming presents three glimpses of what I found to be the most striking aspects of my residence. The first movement, High Plains Prairie, represents the conundrum that is a high elevation landscape: from afar, the eye sees little else than an unending and threadbare horizon. But as one inspects the land up close, the prairie bursts with color provided by sagebrush, grasses, insects, and creeks. The second movement, Call of the Wild, is a tribute to the wide range of animals that reside in the area. Deer, turkeys, and rabbits frequently passed outside of my studio window; cows and sheep lived in fields close by. Snakes, raccoons, and field mice also made guest appearances. While I'm thankful that I didn't see any predators (such as wolves), I became increasingly aware of the wildness of the animal population that surrounded my studio. The Solitude of Stars, the third and final movement, was inspired by the stunning nightly display of the heavens above. Without city lights dimming the night sky, countless stars shone brightly over the vast expanse of the prairie. Postcards from Wyoming was commissioned by the 2016 Utah Arts Festival. -S.G.
In 2014, I enjoyed a wonderful residence at the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming. Ucross is an artist colony that gives writers, composers, and visual artists the gift of time, space, and support to follow their artistic pursuits; we are provided with studio space, housing, and meals so that we can work almost continuously on our projects. I have been in residence at numerous artist colonies; however, nothing in my previous experiences prepared me for living in such isolated, wild country. Ucross is situated on a 20,000-acre cattle ranch at nearly 4,000 feet in elevation with fewer than 150 people living within the town. But what Clearmont lacks in population, it makes up for abundantly and spectacularly in wilderness and wildlife.Postcards from Wyoming presents three glimpses of what I found to be the most striking aspects of my residence. The first movement, High Plains Prairie, represents the conundrum that is a high elevation landscape: from afar, the eye sees little else than an unending and threadbare horizon. But as one inspects the land up close, the prairie bursts with color provided by sagebrush, grasses, insects, and creeks. The second movement, Call of the Wild, is a tribute to the wide range of animals that reside in the area. Deer, turkeys, and rabbits frequently passed outside of my studio window; cows and sheep lived in fields close by. Snakes, raccoons, and field mice also made guest appearances. While I’m thankful that I didn’t see any predators (such as wolves), I became increasingly aware of the wildness of the animal population that surrounded my studio. The Solitude of Stars, the third and final movement, was inspired by the stunning nightly display of the heavens above. Without city lights dimming the night sky, countless stars shone brightly over the vast expanse of the prairie.Postcards from Wyoming was commissioned by the 2016 Utah Arts Festival.-S.G.

American Landscape #1 (Lake Township, Ohio) by Robert W. Smith. Concert Band. Concert Band. Belwin Concert Band. Form: Fanfare; Medley. Contemporary. Grade 3. Conductor Score and Parts. 378 pages. Duration 6:19. Published by Belwin Publishing

Composed by Bill Calhoun. For concert band. Carl Fischer Concert Performance Series. Grade 3-3.5. Full score. 24 pages. Duration 3 minutes, 54 seconds. Published by Carl Fischer

By Ruth Elaine Schram. For 2-part voices and piano. New Horizons Series. Concert, Festival. Octavo. Published by Heritage Music Press

Grade 3

SKU: CL.012-4934-00

Composed by Romeyn. Concert Band. Score and set of parts. Composed 2022. Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications #012-4934-00. Published by Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications (CL.012-4934-00).

From the pen of Rob Romeyn comes this powerful and dramatic programmatic work that sounds straight out of a blockbuster movie soundtrack! The music begins with a delicate statement presented by a solo flute, answered by a solo clarinet soaring above transparent harmonies, leading to a beautiful expressive section. From here, the music takes off with an aggressive display of emotion and power, captivating the audience with high intensity. Multiple sections of the ensemble are featured melodically and harmonically as we continue our journey. Many changes in dynamics, harmonic structure, textures, and varied scoring techniques not only enhance the excitement, but make this an outstanding teaching piece. After a breathtaking climax, the expressive section returns, more developed this time. The piece then ends aggressively, sure to have your audience on the edge of their seat until the last note. Don't miss this significant addition to the concert band repertoire!

SKU: HL.1295388

Pioneer DJ. DJ Gear. Hal Leonard #DDJ-REV5. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.1295388).

UPC: 841300102397. 18.0x33.0x7.0 inches.

This 2-channel, Serato DJ Pro and rekordbox-compatible controller offers an authentic scratch experience and a variety of innovative features to enable more creative, open-format DJ performances. The DDJ-REV5 is equipped with large jog wheels for intricate and precise scratching when used with the robust and slick MAGVEL FADER. Also, the long tempo sliders on the DDJ-REV5 run horizontally above the deck sections while the controller places the Performance Pads and LeverFX in the mixer section to emulate the setups preferred by open-format DJs around the world. It also includes unique Stems control buttons for live mashups and remixes to allow DJ to individually play or mute different parts of any track, such as drums or vocals. To enable creativity, the DDJ-REV5 features the first-ever Auto BPM Transition for seamless track mixing over a shift in BPM. This feature smoothly adjusts the tempo of a track over a specified number of beats so you're totally free when choosing songs and never bound by BPM ranges. And the new Piano Play offers an immersive musical experience where you can trigger a cue point in different semitones, with the changes in pitch arranged on the 16 Performance Pads to recreate the layout of a piano's keyboard. The DDJ-REV5 is compatible with Serato DJ Pro and rekordbox. To start DJing, simply connect the controller to a PC/Mac running your chosen application.

Concert Band - Grade 2.5

SKU: KJ.WB536F

Composed by Steven J. Pyter. Band/Repertoire. Excellence in Performance - Repertoire. Score. Neil A. Kjos Music Company #WB536F. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WB536F).

UPC: 084027053256.

Earthrise is the name of an iconic NASA photograph, taken on December 24, 1968 from the Apollo 8 spacecraft while orbiting the Moon. Composer Steven Pyter depicts this historical event with the evocative tone poem for developing bands. A flute solo (cued in other instruments if needed) floats above rich sonorities. The flute's melody is passed around the band and eventually is accompanied by sparkling aleatoric woodwinds. The Apollo 8 spacecraft crests the moon's horizon and planet Earth is visible in the vastness of space. Earthrise is correlated with Tradition of Excellence Book 2, page 34.

About Tradition of Excellence: Excellence in Performance

Excellence in performance is a concert band repertoire series correlated with the Tradition of Excellence Comprehensive Band Method by Bruce Pearson and Ryan Nowlin. The compositions in the series correlate to a specific page in Tradition of Excellence Books 1, 2, or 3 and reinforce and expand on skills and concepts introduced in the method.

/Selections include exciting parts for every player, grade-appropriate cross-cueing, accessible ranges and rhythms, creative percussion writing, electric bass and rehearsal piano parts, and full conductor scores with rehearsal suggestions, program notes and composer biographies. In addition, the Grade 1 works provide an Advanced Snare Drum part for percussionists who have achieved a higher level of ability, playable simultaneously with the more basic Snare Drum part to facilitate differentiated learning.

Concert Band - Grade 5

SKU: HL.44010827

Grade 5 - Score Only. Composed by Philip Sparke. Anglo Music Concert Band. Concert Piece. Score Only. Composed 2010. Duration 960 seconds. Anglo Music Press #AMP295140. Published by Anglo Music Press (HL.44010827).

UPC: 884088555825. 9.0x12.0x0.25 inches. English-German-French-Dutch.

Atlantic Odyssey was commissioned by the band program at Oakton High School in Vienna, VA, and its director, Dr. Cheryl Newton. The piece is in two extended movements and seeks to portray an imaginary yacht journey off the eastern seaboard of the USA. The first movement, Sunrise at Sea and the Ocean Awakes, opens with an atmospheric depiction of dawn at sea. Floating woodwinds soar above surging brass until a climax heralds the rising sun. Daylight reveals distant horizons and the prospect of a calm voyage, but the sea is never tamed and a light breeze whips up spray around the boat until a couple of high waves rock the boat alarmingly. But the sea soon calms again and the journey continues serenely. The second movement, Homeward Bound and Spindrift, sees us turn for home, the boat scything calmly through the gentle waves in perfect sailing conditions. But once again conditions change, a stiff breeze tugs at the sails and for a moment we are once again at the mercy of the wind and waves. A moment of calm returns but we are suddenly sprayed by spindrift as a gale picks up. The boat is in danger of overturning but we manage to trim the sail and take advantage of the strong winds to enjoy and exhilarating journey home.