Call of the Wild: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$65.00 USD

Call of the Wild: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Call of the Wild: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1572
Price: 65.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 3

Item: 98-B1572

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Based on the novel by American author Jack London, this powerful work depicts a dog’s struggle as he progressively moves from a domesticated animal to a creature of the wild. All sections of the piece are titled after chapters in the novel. The opening powerful fanfare over dissonant woodwind trills moves into a fast-paced section as Buck has his brutal introduction into primitive law. The music becomes angrier as dramatic battles occur along with long journeys without adequate food and water. Eventually, the music becomes heroic and resolute before the opening fanfare returns once more (The Sounding of the Call) and Buck finally completes his transformation, returning to the wild.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Call of the Wild: 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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Series: FJH Concert Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 674398231959

SKU: 98-B1572

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages has built a compositional career that moves seamlessly across orchestral, band, and chamber idioms, earning performances at venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. His work has been championed by everyone from professional symphony orchestras to elementary school ensembles, and he holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association alongside recognition from the American School Band Directors Association, including the A. Austin Harding Award.

Beyond composition, Balmages maintains an active conducting schedule with all-state and regional ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras worldwide. He has guest conducted at major conferences including the Midwest Clinic and Western International Band Clinic, and his music has been performed at significant national events, including the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service. Currently, he serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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Why we love this

Balmages translates Jack London's psychological journey into visceral, dramatically coherent music that keeps students invested from downbeat to final chord. The programmatic structure gives your band something concrete to latch onto, while the orchestration avoids the triteness that can plague story-based pieces. Grade 3 writing that actually respects the intelligence of young musicians.

What to expect

Raw energy tempered with lyrical passages, like watching a living thing stripped of civilization layer by layer. The music pulses with urgency and physical exertion, then occasionally opens into moments of breathtaking clarity before the pressure builds again.

Who it's for

Concert bands working at the Grade 3 level who want programmatic depth without sacrificing accessibility. Directors seeking a contest or festival piece that engages audiences through narrative and musical sophistication in equal measure.

How to get the most out of it

The opening fanfare sets the stakes; commit to its power without rushing. Let the dissonant woodwind trills underneath settle into the ears before Buck's chaos begins.
Track the emotional arc across sections rather than treating them as disconnected movements. The piece gains urgency and coherence when listeners sense the progression from domesticity toward wildness.
Balance the aggressive middle section's rhythmic drive against clarity. Fast doesn't mean muddy; your sections need to stay articulate through the primitive law and battle sequences.
Bring the return of the opening fanfare back with fresh ears. After the journey, this material carries different weight and should feel like genuine transformation, not merely recapitulation.

How to use it

Program this as a centerpiece that can anchor a thematic concert around adaptation, nature, or literary connections to music. Its narrative clarity works well positioned between abstract concert works, giving audiences a narrative rest point while maintaining momentum throughout the set.

Skills your students will build

Coordinating complex rhythmic figures across multiple sections simultaneously
Interpreting programmatic cues from a written score to shape phrasing and dynamics
Navigating abrupt tempo and character shifts that require immediate ensemble focus
Sustaining intensity through extended passages with minimal textural relief
Building dramatic tension through layered articulation and dynamic shaping in fast-paced sections