Carnival of Shadows: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$90.00 USD

Carnival of Shadows: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Carnival of Shadows: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 81-CB224486
Price: 90.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By David Marlatt

Grade: 3.5

Item: 81-CB224486

$90.00

Shipped

One moment…

Something has happened at the circus... the magician has hypnotized the entire audience and the circus isn't quite right. After a strange and frightening beginning, there is a gentle, yet peculiar rain that falls. A creepy theme in the tenor saxophone (interrupted by some terrifying screams) moves into the trapeze artists theme where they seem to encounter an accident. A short funeral procession leads back into the lone sneaky saxophone before the magic box is opened. This magic slowly evolves into a return to normality and back to The Greatest Show on Earth! Experience this spine-chilling circus with Carnival of Shadows by David Marlatt. (6:00)

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Publisher: Eighth Note Publications

ISBN10: 1-77893-050-6

ISBN13: 978-1-77893-050-8

UPC: 685462030514

SKU: 81-CB224486

More about this title

About the Composer: David Marlatt

David Marlatt is a prolific composer and arranger whose work spans educational concert band, jazz, and popular music contexts. His arrangements and original compositions have become staples in school music programs, known for combining accessible writing with genuine musical substance and theatrical flair.

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Why we love this

Marlatt crafts a narrative arc that keeps an ensemble engaged from eerie opening to triumphant finale, demanding ensemble cohesion while keeping parts accessible at Grade 3.5. The dramatic storytelling gives your band a reason to care about precise articulation, dynamic contrast, and collective timing. Few pieces at this level balance creepy atmosphere with genuine musicality this effectively.

What to expect

A dark funhouse mirror held up to the circus, where wonder curddles into genuine unease. The piece moves from hypnotic dread through moments of strange beauty and terror, finally resolving into relief and restoration. It's theatrical without being silly, creepy without being gratuitous.

Who it's for

Band directors seeking a Grade 3.5 piece with strong narrative appeal and seasonal programming potential. This work engages students who thrive on character development and storytelling within the score, while remaining technically manageable for developing ensembles.

How to get the most out of it

Establish the hypnotic quality of the opening section through careful attention to blend and balance; the strangeness comes from unified timbre, not individual voices pulling away.
Shape the tenor saxophone's creepy theme with a slightly muted, sinister tone color. Those screams should feel genuinely unsettling without loss of pitch control.
Support the trapeze artists' theme with transparent texture in the accompaniment so the melodic line sits naturally above the ensemble.
Use the funeral procession as a moment to refocus intonation and section balance before the return to chaos and final magic box transformation.

How to use it

A natural fit for Halloween or fall concerts, but also powerful as a thematic anchor for a program exploring transformation, magic, or darker musical narratives. The six-minute runtime allows it to stand alone as a set centerpiece or pair with lighter fare for contrast.