Black Is the Color...: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Sheldon's treatment of this Appalachian folk melody respects the song's lyrical beauty while remaining perfectly suited to young ensemble capabilities. The Grade 1.5 scoring demands genuine musicality without technical overload, making it an ideal choice when you need a concert piece that sounds mature but stays within realistic rehearsal time. It's the kind of arrangement that reminds students why they play in the first place.

A quiet, intimate portrait of longing and patience. The harmonic language supports the folk tune's gentle melancholy, creating an atmosphere of someone gazing toward a distant horizon, waiting for what may or may not return.

Early intermediate concert bands preparing repertoire for festival or spring concert programming. This title serves equally well for ensembles building confidence and musicality as for those seeking accessible literature that doesn't sacrifice artistic integrity.

• Shape the melody with long, connected phrasing rather than chopping it into small gestures. Let the folk tune breathe as it would in a traditional vocal performance.
• Balance the inner voices and accompaniment so the main theme emerges clearly without the supporting parts disappearing. Young bands often pull inward at this level; encourage them to listen outward.
• Establish a warm, unrushed tempo that allows the emotional content of the text (a lover waiting by the sea) to register with your audience. Resist the impulse to move quickly simply because the piece is easy.

Program this as a thoughtful interlude between more energetic pieces, or use it to open a concert with emotional immediacy. It also pairs beautifully with other folk-based or Americana repertoire, and its brevity makes it an excellent choice for festivals where concert time is limited.

• Sustaining long melodic lines with consistent tone and intonation
• Balancing principal melodic voices with accompaniment textures
• Responding to expressive, song-like phrasing rather than strictly metered rhythm
• Reading and performing parts in a full concert band score at Grade 1.5 level