A House Divided: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Brian Balmages
Grade: 2.5;3
Item: 98-DB1539
$50.00
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Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
| Product | Price | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| A House Divided: Score | $12.00 | |
| A House Divided: Flute 1 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Flute 2 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Oboe | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Bassoon | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: B-flat Clarinet 1 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: B-flat Clarinet 2 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: B-flat Bass Clarinet | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: E-flat Alto Saxophone 1 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: E-flat Alto Saxophone 2 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: B-flat Tenor Saxophone | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: E-flat Baritone Saxophone | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: B-flat Trumpet 1 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: B-flat Trumpet 2 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: F Horn | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Trombone 1 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Trombone 2 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Baritone/Euphonium | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Baritone T.C. | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Tuba | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Timpani | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Mallet Percussion 1 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Mallet Percussion 2 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Percussion 1 | $7.00 | |
| A House Divided: Percussion 2 | $7.00 |
Parts Added to Cart!
Description
Based on Abraham Lincoln’s famous speech in 1858 about slavery, this contemplative work weaves original material with America to depict the tension in the House of Representatives. Often, the melody to America is altered melodically and harmonically as moments of anger, rage and fear dissolve into “quirky” moments of patriotism. The end of the work is magical, as the words “let freedom ring” are sung by the ensemble to leave the audience speechless.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, A House Divided: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts 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 Concert Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-DB1539
More about this title
About the Composer: Brian Balmages
Brian Balmages has established himself as a versatile composer and conductor whose works span orchestral, band, and chamber music idioms. His compositions have reached audiences in prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House, performed by ensembles ranging from professional orchestras to elementary school groups. He received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association and won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light. Balmages holds elected membership in the American Bandmasters Association.
As a guest conductor, Balmages has led all-state and regional ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras worldwide, with notable appearances at the Midwest Clinic, College Band Directors Conference, and international venues including Teatro dell'Aquila in Italy. He earned the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award and was commissioned by the University of Miami to compose music for the inauguration of the institution's president. His music was performed during the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service attended by President Obama and Vice President Biden. Currently, Balmages serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.
Why we love this
Balmages transforms Lincoln's words into something visceral without leaning on heavy-handed rhetoric. The juxtaposition of America against shifting harmonies and sudden shifts into quirky patriotism creates genuine dramatic tension that audiences feel in their chests, while the finale's sung message about freedom rings both sincere and earned. At Grade 2.5–3, this offers the rare combination of accessible ranges and achievable rhythms paired with sophisticated thematic development that doesn't talk down to young musicians.
What to expect
The piece breathes with historical weight and contemporary immediacy. Tension builds through subtle harmonic shifts and the fractured treatment of America's melody, punctuated by moments of almost defiant quirkiness that feel both unsettling and strangely human. The final sung passage, with its invocation of freedom, arrives not as triumph but as a hard-won affirmation that settles over the ensemble and audience alike.
Who it's for
This score and parts set is designed for intermediate concert bands (Grades 2.5–3) looking to program meaningful American music that engages both musicians and audiences. Band directors seeking accessible yet substantive contest or festival material will find a piece that challenges students musically while remaining within their technical range.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the altered America melody with deliberate dynamic contrast. When the harmony turns darker or the orchestration becomes more jagged, resist the urge to push tempo; let the harmonic shift do the work.
- Rehearse the ensemble singing section separately and early. Mark the rhythm crisply and establish the text delivery before integrating it into the full band sound.
- Balance the 'quirky' patriotic moments by keeping them rhythmically precise rather than cutesy. Young bands often soften these sections when they should snap into place.
- Conduct the final 'let freedom ring' section with restraint. The magic lies in clarity and conviction, not crescendo.
How to use it
Program this alongside other pieces that explore American identity and historical reflection for a thematic concert on nationalism, justice, or social history. It also works effectively as a contest piece where judges appreciate musical sophistication paired with accessibility, or as a centerpiece for a spring concert that aims to move rather than entertain.
Skills your students will build
- Interpreting altered melodic lines and harmonic variations of familiar material
- Balancing timbral changes and dynamic shifts to convey emotional content
- Ensemble singing integration with instrumental parts
- Conducting and performing music with programmatic depth at intermediate level
- Stylistic flexibility moving between moments of tension, quirkiness, and resolution