Cherished: Baritone B.C.
By Robert Sheldon
Grade: 3
Item: 00-PC-0019213_BBC1
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Description
Cherished is a beautiful musical message of gratitude that alternates between moments of vulnerability and powerful passages reflecting comfort and trust. Robert Sheldon's soaring phrases combine with ever-changing chordal progressions, resulting in steady waves of color and harmonic changes that sound complex yet are quite playable. Stunning and transformational. (5:00)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Cherished: Baritone B.C. 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:
MakeMusic Young Band
Publisher:
MakeMusic Publications
SKU:
00-PC-0019213_BBC1
More about this title
About the Composer: Robert Sheldon
Robert Sheldon stands among the most frequently performed composers in the wind band repertoire. His works appear on contest lists worldwide and are performed by ensembles across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has guest conducted All-State and Regional Honor Bands throughout his career and regularly presents clinics at universities and state music education conferences.
As lead author of Sound Innovations for Concert Band, Sheldon brings both compositional depth and pedagogical insight to his work. His compositions have earned recognition from the American School Band Directors Association, Phi Beta Mu, and ASCAP. His music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Kennedy Center, and he received an honorary doctorate from VanderCook College of Music in 2020.
Why we love this
Sheldon masters the grade 3 sweet spot: the piece demands musicianship and interpretive sensitivity without overwhelming younger bands. The harmonic language feels sophisticated and contemporary, yet the parts sit naturally under the fingers. Directors love programming work that audiences recognize as genuinely composed music rather than simplified arrangements, and this delivers exactly that.
What to expect
Cherished unfolds like a heartfelt letter, moving between moments of quiet reflection and swelling affirmation. Harmonic shifts arrive like gentle waves, creating warmth and depth without obscuring the melodic content. The piece leaves performers and audiences alike with a sense of having experienced something genuine and moving.
Who it's for
Grade 3 concert bands seeking substantial, artistically rewarding repertoire that challenges musicianship without requiring advanced technical facility. This works equally well for festival programming, concert performance, or contest, and is accessible to developing ensembles that are ready to focus on tone quality and phrasing.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the phrase contours with deliberate dynamic control; Sheldon's soaring lines depend on ensemble commitment to crescendo and decrescendo shapes rather than static volume.
- Balance the chordal progressions by rotating which section carries harmonic weight. The ever-changing colors Sheldon intends only emerge when you prevent any one voice from dominating the texture.
- Let the vulnerability sections breathe. Resist the urge to rush through the softer passages; they set up the power of the larger moments.
- Mark cue points clearly for parts with rests. At five minutes, singers and players need visual anchors to stay confident during passages where their section sits out.
How to use it
Open a concert with this piece to set a reflective, emotional tone, or place it in the second half as a moment of beauty between more energetic selections. Its five-minute duration and expressive demands make it an excellent contest entry that shows adjudicators the ensemble's ability to balance technical competence with artistic sensitivity.
Skills your students will build
- Shaping long melodic phrases with dynamic control
- Blending and balancing chord voices in constantly changing harmonic contexts
- Sustaining focus and musical expression in slower tempos
- Reading and responding to subtle conductor cues across resting sections
- Connecting technical accuracy to interpretive intent