Among the Clouds: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Balmages knows exactly how to craft a Grade 3 work that doesn't talk down to your students. The dramatic arc here, from drowsy floating to urgent flight, gives young players genuine dramatic material to interpret, not just notes on a page. The accessibility never compromises the musicianship; this is the kind of piece that earns respect from both the ensemble and your audience.

The piece opens like drifting into sleep, all floating weightlessness and subtle orchestration. Then you're yanked awake into turbulent, exhilarating flight, with driving rhythms and aggressive melodic energy that demands the ensemble lock in and commit. By the end, there's a sense of triumph, of mastering the skies.

Grade 3 concert bands looking for repertoire with dramatic storytelling and genuine excitement. This works equally well for festival submission or concert programming, offering medium-level ensembles a chance to tackle meaningful musical content without technical overwhelm.

• Balance the slow opening so it feels suspended rather than dragging; young bands tend to rush through soft passages out of nerves, so lock in a tempo with the brass and let the woodwinds breathe around it.
• When the fast section launches, establish the aggressive theme clearly in the lead voice, then let the supporting parts settle around it rather than trying to blend everything from the start.
• Shape the developmental passages by tracking where the theme fragments appear across different sections; asking your students to identify these moments in rehearsal builds ownership of the form.

This is an excellent opener for a concert built around a theme, or a compelling centerpiece that gives your audience a clear emotional journey. The contest/festival designation also makes it a smart choice when you want a showpiece that can hold its own in adjudication while still sitting comfortably in your Grade 3 section.

• Performing contrasting tempos and musical characters within a single work
• Balancing soft, sustained passages without losing shape or forward motion
• Tracking thematic development across multiple instrumental families
• Responding to dramatic text and imagery to inform interpretive choices
• Building and releasing tension through dynamic control in ensemble playing