Ashokan Farewell: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Bob Cerulli's orchestration captures the emotional depth of Ungar's melody while making it accessible to Grade 2.5 ensembles. The optional wind and percussion parts mean you can perform this with strings alone or build it into a fuller sound, giving you programming flexibility across skill levels. Audiences consistently respond to this piece with genuine emotion, making it a reliable choice for concerts where you want to make a meaningful impact without technical demands that distract from the music.

Ashokan Farewell carries a contemplative, wistful quality that feels like remembrance and gentle sorrow. The melody unfolds with the clarity of a folk tune, but Cerulli's orchestration gives it depth and dignity appropriate to its historical context. Even at moderate difficulty, the piece conveys genuine emotion and carries the listener through its arc with grace.

Orchestras working at the Grade 2.5 level, whether all-strings or including winds and percussion, will find this arrangement both rewarding and achievable. It works equally well for school orchestra concerts, community orchestras, and youth symphonies seeking accessible repertoire that doesn't sacrifice musical substance. Audiences of all ages connect with this piece, making it an excellent choice when you want programming that resonates beyond the traditional concert music crowd.

• Let the melody sing through clearly in the opening statements; avoid over-articulation that breaks the line's continuity.
• Balance accompaniment parts so they support rather than overwhelm the primary melodic voice, especially in the string section.
• Use the optional wind and percussion parts to deepen texture in later iterations of the theme if your ensemble has the players available.
• Shape phrases around the emotional arc of the melody rather than mechanically marking time signatures; this piece rewards expressive rubato.

Program this as a centerpiece for a concert themed around American music or history, or use it as a poignant intermission piece to mark a shift in mood. Its accessible difficulty makes it ideal for mid-season programming when your ensemble has basic fundamentals in place but still needs appropriate challenges. The piece also pairs naturally with other folk-inspired or documentary-sourced repertoire, creating thematic cohesion across a concert.

• Sustaining long melodic lines with consistent tone and phrasing
• Balancing primary melodic voices against accompanying parts
• Responding to expressive conducting that emphasizes emotional shape over mechanical rhythm
• Performing optional parts that extend range and textural complexity