At Dawn's Valor (A Tribute to Courage and Sacrifice): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
(A Tribute to Courage and Sacrifice)
By Mark Lortz
Grade: 3.5
Item: 98-PK-RWS2549
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Description
Commissioned for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, At Dawn's Valor honors the courage and sacrifice of those who stormed the beaches. Inspired by the real-life experiences of two grandfathers who served, this powerful composition blends solemn reflection with bold, heroic themes. From its tense opening to its commanding brass and percussion, the music captures the resilience of those who shaped history. More than music, it's a tribute to bravery, sacrifice, and the enduring human spirit.
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Additional Details
Series:
RWS - Symphony Band
Publisher:
RWS Music Company
SKU:
98-PK-RWS2549
More about this title
About the Composer: Mark Lortz
Mark Lortz directs the music program at Stevenson University and serves as music editor for RWS Music Company. His work as a composer and arranger has earned recognition from ASCAP, Gramophone, and The Instrumentalist, with selections on Bandworld's Top 100 and J.W. Pepper's Editor's Choice lists. His compositions have premiered at major venues including The Midwest Clinic, the College Band Directors National Association conference, and the Bands of America National Percussion Festival.
Beyond the concert hall, Lortz brings deep experience as brass arranger for the multi-world champion Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps and as a guest conductor and clinician throughout Europe and across the United States. He has worked with the U.S. Army Field Band, U.S. Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, and major orchestras, and holds adjudication posts at regional and national festivals. The Maryland Music Educators' Association named him an Outstanding Educator in 2024. His degrees include a Ph.D. in Music Education from Temple University and credentials in percussion performance and composition from the Peabody Institute.
Why we love this
Lortz crafts a composition with genuine dramatic architecture rather than patriotic platitudes. The piece moves between intimate reflection and full-voiced power, giving conductors real interpretive choices and students genuine emotional stakes. Programming this creates a meaningful tribute while remaining substantive concert literature at a 3.5 level.
What to expect
The music opens in quiet tension, almost ritualistic, before gradually widening into statements of resolve and courage. Brass and percussion eventually surge forward with a sense of purpose and dignity, never bombastic but unmistakably strong. Throughout, there is a quality of remembrance and respect that gives weight to every phrase.
Who it's for
This work suits bands mature enough to sustain lyrical passages and respond to nuanced conducting while still commanding the power needed for its heroic sections. Grade 3.5 ensembles with solid fundamentals can execute the solemn opening and climactic statements effectively.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the solemn opening section with steady, connected phrasing in the woodwinds; avoid rushing the introductory material even as tension builds.
- Shape the heroic brass passages with deliberate dynamic control so the full ensemble sound sits together rather than overwhelming the texture.
- Give percussion time to lock the rhythmic foundation, especially in passages where martial elements emerge; they anchor the band's sense of forward motion.
- Honor the climactic moments by bringing the entire ensemble into the sound; this is not a time for holding back, but the buildup should feel earned rather than immediate.
How to use it
Reserve this for a concert where you can build meaning around it; it works powerfully as a closing piece or as the centerpiece of a program exploring patriotic service and historical reflection. The Grade 3.5 accessibility means you can program it with confidence at festivals or formal events without compromising artistic integrity.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing lyrical phrasing with marked articulation across mixed wind sections
- Sustaining intensity through gradual dynamic and textural growth
- Executing rhythmic precision in brass and percussion layering
- Responding to subtle conducting cues in both quiet and fortissimo passages
- Understanding how musical form and emotional arc serve narrative purpose