A Festive Finale: Trombone
By Brian Balmages
Grade: 1
Item: 98-PC-DB1789_TN1
$7.00
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Description
After countless requests from directors everywhere, Balmages is thrilled to offer this closer that pairs perfectly with A Festive Fanfare and brings your program full circle. Loosely based on the opening notes of the fanfare, this thrilling and energetic closer is a great way to tie your entire program together and end in a truly festive fashion. So. Much. Fun.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, A Festive Finale: Trombone 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 Beginning Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-PC-DB1789_TN1
More about this title
About the Composer: Brian Balmages
Brian Balmages has built an international reputation as a composer and conductor whose work spans orchestral, band, and chamber music idioms. His compositions have reached audiences in prestigious halls including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House, performed by ensembles ranging from professional orchestras to elementary school groups. He holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association, received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association, and won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for his work Love and Light.
As a guest conductor, Balmages appears regularly with all-state and regional ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras worldwide. His music has been featured at major conferences including the Midwest Clinic, the College Band Directors Conference, and the American School Band Directors Association National Conference. His compositions were performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, and he has received commissions from institutions including his alma mater, the University of Miami. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.
Why we love this
Grade 1 closers that actually work are rare, and Balmages delivers one that lands with real impact. By anchoring the piece to thematic material from A Festive Fanfare, he gives your program architectural integrity and sends the audience out feeling the connection between opener and finale. The energy here is genuine and contagious, not manufactured.
What to expect
A Festive Finale captures the brisk, bright quality of holiday celebration without relying on cliché. The writing crackles with motion and purpose; you feel the band building toward something, not just playing through a piece. The thematic connection to the opening creates a satisfying sense of narrative return.
Who it's for
Beginning band directors who have programmed A Festive Fanfare and need a strong, age-appropriate closer that reinforces the fanfare's material while maintaining engagement. Grade 1 ensembles with developing ensemble cohesion will find this piece rewarding because its clarity and energy reward improved intonation and blend.
How to get the most out of it
- Keep the tempo steady and driving from the downbeat; the festive character comes from rhythmic clarity and ensemble precision, not rushing.
- Balance your texture so the melodic material sings above the accompaniment, especially when thematic elements from the fanfare emerge.
- Give the brass section room to breathe during sustained passages; let them shape the phrases rather than holding everything at one dynamic level.
- Emphasize the rhythmic momentum in the final measures to build genuine excitement rather than simply playing louder.
How to use it
Pair this directly with A Festive Fanfare as your concert bookends, creating a three-movement holiday suite with contrasting repertoire in the middle. The piece works equally well as a standalone program closer when you need something that lands with festive flair but stays musically substantive for a Grade 1 ensemble.
Skills your students will build
- Maintaining rhythmic precision and tempo consistency at energetic tempos
- Balancing melodic lines against harmonic accompaniment
- Sustaining phrase shape through dynamic control
- Reading and executing clear articulation markings in a fast-moving texture
- Ensemble blend and intonation awareness across sustained passages