Azure Hills: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Steve Hodges
Grade: 1.5 (Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0004260
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Description
Azure Hills is a lyrical ballad that presents the band with many opportunities for expressive playing. The theme is lightly presented by the flutes, then followed by another statement in the trumpets with added textures in the accompaniment. The second statement features some interesting harmonies by the woodwinds before leading into a very expressive final presentation of the melody with an added woodwind countermelody. A stirring variation and development leads to a very effective and climactic ending where melodic motives are passed from section to section as the piece winds down to a quiet, reflective conclusion.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Azure Hills: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts 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:
Challenger Band Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
118
SKU:
00-PK-0004260
More about this title
About the Composer: Steve Hodges
Steve Hodges holds degrees from Western Oregon University (B.S.) and Central Washington University (M.A. in Music Education). After four decades directing concert bands, choirs, and chamber ensembles across public school districts, he transitioned to full-time composition, publishing over 120 band works through Alfred Music since 1986.
Hodges's compositions have appeared at state conventions, international festivals, and on broadcasts for TBS and ESPN. His commissioned works span honor bands and school programs in Virginia, Iowa, Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, and Canada. As an ASCAP member, he continues to live in The Dalles, Oregon, where he remains active in community music and watches his grandchildren perform his pieces in their own school bands.
Why we love this
Azure Hills demonstrates that Grade 1.5 writing doesn't mean simplicity at the expense of musicality. The score gives every section meaningful moments, flutes introduce the theme, trumpets bring it back with new textural support, woodwinds add harmonically interesting variations, so your students experience themselves as essential voices rather than background players. The final climactic section, where melodic ideas pass from section to section before dissolving into reflection, teaches students how a single gesture can anchor an entire piece while remaining fresh each time it returns.
What to expect
A walk through quiet, contemplative terrain that gradually opens into something broader and more stirring before settling back into stillness. The music breathes, it doesn't rush, and it trusts listeners (and performers) to sit with moments of genuine lyricism rather than constant busyness.
Who it's for
Grade 1.5 concert bands preparing for festival or contest performance. The piece works equally well for groups prioritizing musical growth over technical display, as it builds expressive sensitivity and sectional independence without demanding advanced range or technique.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the flute entrance with a gentle rise to the phrase peak rather than keeping it mechanically level; this invites the listener in and sets the emotional tone for everything that follows.
- Let the trumpet statement breathe slightly before entering. The accompanying textures should support but never overwhelm the melody, think of them as a gentle cushion, not a wall.
- Balance the woodwind harmonies in the second statement carefully; if any voice dominates, the richness collapses into muddiness. Light articulation helps each line speak.
- During the final climactic section, resist the urge to rush as material passes between sections. Each handoff of the melodic motif deserves clarity and space, allowing the audience to follow the musical conversation.
How to use it
Program Azure Hills on a festival or concert that benefits from a contrasting ballad, especially if you're pairing it with more energetic or technically demanding works. Its modest page count (118 pages of score and parts) makes it manageable for groups juggling multiple pieces, and the reflective ending provides natural programming placement before an intermission or as a closing selection.
Skills your students will build
- Dynamic shaping and phrase contour across multiple statement variations
- Sectional balance and accompaniment texture support
- Ensemble blend during harmonic changes in the middle section
- Thematic continuity and recognition as melodies pass between instrument families
- Expressive performance at accessible technical levels