Benedicamus Domino: Brass Quintet Score & Parts

David Marlatt's arrangement captures the vocal warmth of Scheidt's original while giving brass players the chance to sing through their instruments. The alternating duets keep every voice engaged and prevent any player from sitting idle, and the ritornello passages give the ensemble moments to lock in together. It's a rewarding piece that sounds far more complex than its Easy-Medium level suggests.

Gentle and reverent, with the warm, blended sonority of brass that sings rather than blares. The piece flows like a hymn or prayer, moving between intimate moments of two voices and richer moments when all five players join the ritornello.

Brass quintets looking for Renaissance and Baroque repertoire that sits comfortably between accessibility and musical substance. This works equally well for festival programming, church services, or concert settings where you want a piece that engages all players without demanding virtuosity.

• Shape the duet passages with the same care you'd give to vocal phrasing; breathe where singers would, and let the line breathe between phrases rather than rushing forward.
• Balance the ritornello sections so all five voices blend into a unified sound; avoid letting any single voice dominate the texture.
• Use the organ part to anchor harmonic support and help the ensemble keep a steady internal pulse, especially during the more intricate duet exchanges.
• Vary the color and dynamics slightly between each duet pair to highlight the structural repetition with fresh character.

Pair this with other early Baroque sacred works or Renaissance arrangements to anchor a themed concert. Its moderate length (3:40) makes it ideal for a mid-program position where you want to shift mood and showcase the singing side of your brass sound.

• Sustaining legato tone across phrase shapes adapted from vocal music
• Balancing within duet textures and managing entrance timing in multi-voice sections
• Reading and interpreting Baroque counterpoint with period-appropriate phrasing
• Ensemble listening and blend across different instrumental pairs within one quintet