Always United, Forever Strong Cover Image

Always United, Forever Strong: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$90.00 USD

Always United, Forever Strong: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Always United, Forever Strong: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1557
Price: 90.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 4

Item: 98-B1557

Need it now?

Buy Digital Version

$90.00

Shipped

One moment…

This dynamic concert opener reflects on the power of a community coming together to be greater than the sum of its individual members. A single note fanfare progressively builds and blossoms into a massive declaration of power and might. Glorious and resolute, this may just be the concert opener that brings your audience to its feet.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Always United, Forever Strong: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

Open in the Player

Jump straight in and assign it today.

Start Your Free Trial

Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.

No sample videos found.

Series: FJH Concert Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 674398231737

SKU: 98-B1557

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages composes and conducts across orchestral, band, and chamber genres, with performances ranging from elementary school ensembles to professional symphony orchestras at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House. His accolades include the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association, the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light, and membership in the American Bandmasters Association.

Balmages earned the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts and was commissioned by the University of Miami to compose for the inauguration of the institution's sixth president. His music has been performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service and at major conferences including the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, and College Band Directors Conference. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

Balmages understands exactly what concert openers need to do: grab attention immediately and sustain energy across the entire piece. The single-note fanfare concept is deceptively clever; it creates a unifying thread that builds legitimately rather than relying on sudden dynamic shifts, giving your ensemble clear musical stakes with every entrance and layering.

What to expect

The music radiates confidence and unity. What begins as a single voice crystallizes into a resonant, powerful declaration as additional instruments join the tapestry, creating a sense of inevitable momentum that feels both majestic and earned.

Who it's for

Grade 4 concert bands ready for a statement opener that demands precision and rewards strong fundamentals in balance and blend. Directors programming festivals, invitational contests, or formal concerts will find this accessible yet impressive enough to leave a lasting impression on adjudicators and audiences alike.

How to get the most out of it

Establish the fanfare motif with absolute clarity in the opening measures; every section that enters after will reference this material, so precision here pays dividends throughout.
Balance the progressive buildup by resisting the urge to jump to full volume too early. The power of this piece emerges from the gradual accumulation of voices and color.
Shape phrase contours within each section as the harmonies thicken; avoid a static forte sound even in the final statements by allowing slight dynamic shaping that respects the harmonic movement.
Secure tight ensemble lock during the culmination passages. The massed sonority lands hardest when rhythmic precision is unwavering across all parts.

How to use it

Place this at the top of any concert to establish command and energy from the opening moment. It works equally well as a festival opener or contest selection where you need to demonstrate both musical sophistication and ensemble control within the first three minutes.