A Festive Fanfare: Optional E-flat Baritone Saxophone
By Brian Balmages
Grade: 3
Item: 98-PC-DOR5014_OBTX
$7.00
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Description
This powerful and driving overture is the perfect way to kick off your holiday program! Featuring a mix of original themes and holiday favorites, this work does not sound like a medley; rather, it is symphonic in nature while featuring snippets of holiday tunes that span from lyrical to soaring! Perfect for school or professional orchestras looking for the perfect opener.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, A Festive Fanfare: Optional E-flat Baritone Saxophone comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
FJH Full Orchestra
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-PC-DOR5014_OBTX
More about this title
About the Composer: Brian Balmages
Brian Balmages has established himself as a composer and conductor with a rare command across orchestral, band, and chamber repertoires. His works have appeared in prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House, performed by ensembles ranging from professional orchestras to school groups. He holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association and received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association. His composition Love and Light won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest.
Balmages earned Distinguished Alumni recognition from James Madison University's School of Visual and Performing Arts and was commissioned by the University of Miami to compose music for the inauguration of President Julio Frenk. His work was performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, and he maintains an active conducting schedule with all-state ensembles, university orchestras, and professional groups across the globe. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.
Why we love this
This overture avoids the medley trap entirely. Instead of stringing together holiday snippets, Balmages constructs a genuine symphonic work that happens to weave in familiar seasonal material—a far more sophisticated approach that your musicians will respect and audiences will actually remember. The driving energy and orchestral sweep make it an ideal program opener that energizes the room without sounding thin or student-like.
What to expect
The music propels forward with confident momentum, balancing lyrical passages against soaring climaxes while maintaining orchestral weight throughout. Holiday familiarity emerges within a genuinely composed framework, creating the sensation of hearing beloved tunes reimagined within a larger musical canvas rather than assembled for effect.
Who it's for
School and professional orchestras preparing holiday programming will find this piece fills the opening slot with style and substance. It works equally well for groups at the intermediate level seeking a polished, sophisticated concert opener rather than a novelty arrangement.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish a strong tempo foundation early; the opening section sets the pulse for everything that follows, and precision here pays dividends when the holiday themes enter.
- Balance the snippets of familiar tunes against the original material by highlighting them without letting them dominate the overall texture; these moments should feel organic to the larger design.
- Shape the dynamic arc across the full piece; treat it as a single arc rather than disconnected sections, which reinforces the symphonic intent and maintains listener engagement.
How to use it
Position this as your program opener to capture attention immediately and establish orchestral authority before moving into your main repertoire. The Grade 3 accessibility and holiday context make it ideal for December concerts, winter galas, or seasonal fundraising events where you want the orchestra to sound accomplished and engaged.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing contrasting thematic material within a unified orchestral texture
- Executing driving rhythmic precision at moderate tempos
- Sustaining dynamic control across an extended single-movement work
- Ensemble cohesion across full orchestral ranges and sections