Ascend (3rd Movement from "Georgian Suite"): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Samuel R. Hazo
Grade: 3
Item: 35-PK01207683
$75.00
Pickup currently not available
Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
Parts Added to Cart!
Description
Composed for Tapp Middle School in Powder Springs, GA and premiered at the 2005 Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Ascend is a driving and energetic work designed to sound great with younger bands. The combination of mixed meters and syncopation gives the main theme a unique edge, and there is a brief 3-part fugue woven into the texture of the piece. Sure to provide a rewarding and varied musical experience for your players.
Ascend (3rd Movement from "Georgian Suite"): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK01207683
More about this title
About the Composer: Samuel R. Hazo
Samuel R. Hazo has built a catalog of accessible yet musically substantial works for young ensembles, earning recognition for his ability to write idiomatically for developing musicians without sacrificing compositional integrity. His commissions from middle and high school programs across the country reflect a deep understanding of what engages student performers and audiences alike.
Why we love this
Hazo writes for the students in front of you rather than an idealized version of them. The mixed meters and syncopation in Ascend challenge rhythmic precision without becoming a tedious exercise, while the embedded fugue section rewards careful listening and part independence. This is the rare Grade 3 work that feels genuinely modern without relying on gimmicks.
What to expect
Ascend propels forward with restless momentum, built on rhythmic urgency rather than melodic broadness. The combination of mixed meters and syncopation gives the writing an almost modern jazz sensibility, even as the orchestration remains solidly band-focused.
Who it's for
Bands at the Grade 3 level ready for something beyond predictable march forms and simple syncopation. This work suits programs that want to program something contemporary and energetic without stepping outside the technical reach of intermediate musicians.
How to get the most out of it
- Keep the syncopated passages crisp and articulate; loose attacks will blur the rhythmic profile that makes this theme distinctive.
- Balance the fugal section carefully so each voice cuts through without the texture becoming muddy. Lighter dynamic layering will actually increase clarity.
- Anchor the mixed meters (watch what's happening between sections) with a rock-solid rhythm section; the energy depends on their confidence more than anything else.
- Use the space between phrases to reset and breathe; this driving tempo and complex rhythms demand moment-to-moment focus from players.
How to use it
Pair this as your concert opener or closer when you need something that grabs attention and sustains it. The contemporary harmonic language and rhythmic vocabulary make it a natural bridge between classic Grade 3 literature and the more complex writing students will encounter in high school.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and performing mixed meters (transitions between different time signatures)
- Syncopated rhythm accuracy and independence
- Part independence in multi-voice textures (fugal writing)
- Articulation control for clarity in modern idioms
- Ensemble balance and blend across full band scoring