As a Wind from the North: E-flat Alto Clarinet
By Robert Sheldon
Grade: 5 (Difficult)
Item: 00-PC-0000844_AC1
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Description
As a Wind from the North was inspired by the writings of Byron Reece and commissioned by the Northwinds Symphonic Band of Gainesville, Georgia (Ronald J. Evans, Conductor), and was premiered at the Georgia Music Educators All-State Conference in Savannah. The piece is a fantasy based on the hymn "King of Glory" by David Charles Walker. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, As a Wind from the North: E-flat Alto Clarinet 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:
Alfred Concert Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
292
SKU:
00-PC-0000844_AC1
More about this title
About the Composer: Robert Sheldon
Robert Sheldon stands among the most widely performed composers writing for wind band today. His catalog appears regularly on state and national contest lists, and his works have been performed in prestigious venues from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center. Sheldon's commissions come steadily from ensembles across the country, and he maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor for All-State and Regional Honor Bands. His contributions to music education extend through clinician work at universities and state conferences throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. In 2020, VanderCook College of Music awarded him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his sustained impact on the field.
Beyond his concert works, Sheldon serves as lead author of Sound Innovations for Concert Band, a foundational resource in the field. His compositions consistently balance technical accessibility with genuine artistic depth, earning him multiple awards from the American School Band Director's Association, Phi Beta Mu, and ASCAP.
Why we love this
Sheldon crafts a programmatic journey rooted in genuine literary inspiration rather than surface storytelling. The fantasy structure gives you freedom in interpretation while the hymn foundation provides musical coherence across the Grade 5 difficulty level, making it rewarding for ensembles that are ready to dig into something with real substance without requiring virtuosity.
What to expect
The piece evokes a sense of narrative movement, as though you're traveling through a landscape shaped by wind and memory. Moments of lyrical warmth emerge from dramatic gestures, and the familiar hymn surfaces like a landmark guiding you through something larger and more mysterious.
Who it's for
This work suits advanced Grade 5 bands with balanced instrumentation and solid rhythmic ensemble skills. Directors programming for state contests or honor band festivals will find a piece that impresses adjudicators while remaining achievable for dedicated rehearsal groups.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the interplay between the hymn tune and the fantastical passages that surround it; let the familiar melody ground each interpretive moment rather than overwhelm it.
- Work with your low brass and woodwinds to establish the foundational harmonic support that allows upper voices to soar without strain.
- Shape the sectional transitions deliberately; this piece breathes through contrasts, so mark your tempo relationships clearly in rehearsal so the band understands the architecture.
- Invest time in the articulation and phrasing of the accompaniment figures; they carry as much musical weight as the melody and deserve precision.
How to use it
Program this as a centerpiece for a concert devoted to American wind band literature or to hymn-based works. Its substantial length and programmatic nature position it well as a second-half opener that resets audience attention and showcases your band's interpretive maturity.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing independent melodic lines with harmonic accompaniment
- Shaping long phrases across key harmonic shifts
- Reading and executing the contrapuntal passages in mixed tempos
- Understanding programmatic structure and translating it into expressive conducting and playing
- Sustaining intonation during sustained harmonic passages at varied dynamic levels