FJH Orchestra Sheet Music

Teachers return consistently to Voyager and Viking by Soon Hee Newbold, which balance musicality with manageable technical demands at grades 2 and 2.5. Brian Balmages' Impulse and Burst! are equally popular, with Impulse landing at grade 0.5 for younger ensembles and Burst! at grade 1.5, making them reliable choices for building repertoire across skill levels.

Bob Lipton's Overture and Bourree (from Il Pastor Fido) arrived in April 2026, and Francis Osentowski's Fantasy on a Chinese Theme and Charles E. Carryl's A Capital Ship both published in March give you fresh concert and multicultural options.

Soon Hee Newbold brings decades of world travel and cultural study to her compositions, creating works that feel both globally informed and immediately accessible to student ensembles. Her Voyager and Viking titles are among the most widely adopted in this collection.

Brian Balmages is a prolific voice across all ensemble types, from professional orchestras to elementary groups. His works balance sophisticated musical ideas with technical clarity, making Impulse and Burst! natural choices for developing orchestras.

Carrie Lane Gruselle teaches elementary and middle strings in Wisconsin while holding both bachelor's and master's degrees in music education with Suzuki emphasis. Her Finale from Serenade for Strings demonstrates how classroom experience informs compositional choices for student musicians.

Bob Lipton brings 19 years of middle school orchestra teaching in Silicon Valley directly into his writing. His arrangements and original works reflect what actually works in rehearsal with developing ensembles, and his recent Dance of the Tumblers and Overture and Bourree show his continued output for this level.