Cousins: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

This is a historical work finally presented in its intended form. Previous generations of directors had only a piano reduction; now you have a full conductor score that reveals Clarke's sophisticated orchestration and gives your band something genuinely substantial to play. The piece balances spotlight soloists with genuine ensemble writing, which means your two best brass players get real recognition without the rest of the band becoming accompaniment.

Cousins captures the charm and virtuosity of turn-of-the-century brass music, with a familiar, almost conversational quality between the two soloists. The dialogue feels natural and warm rather than showy, even as the writing demands real technical security from both the cornet and trombone parts.

Grade 4 bands with two accomplished brass soloists who are ready to carry significant musical responsibility. This arrangement works equally well for a concert that celebrates your program's top players or as a centerpiece that challenges your ensemble's ability to support and complement spirited solo writing.

• Balance the cornet and trombone soloists carefully through dynamic shaping, especially in passages where they trade themes or play in octaves with the ensemble; Clarke's original orchestration sets them apart, but they must still breathe with the band.
• Establish the tempo firmly with the rhythm section before the soloists enter; both parts contain rapid passagework and the accompaniment must provide a steady rhythmic foundation.
• Pay attention to the revised articulation markings in the parts, which clarify Clarke's intent; consistent tonguing or slurring across similar phrases will tighten the ensemble sound.
• Rehearse the band parts with the soloists present early in the learning process so the accompaniment can respond to the soloists' phrasing and rubato rather than playing mechanically.

Program this as a showcase for your brass section in the second half of a concert, after you've established the band's general capability and appetite for more ambitious repertoire. It pairs well with other masterwork arrangements or early 20th-century concert band literature and provides a satisfying centerpiece that audiences recognize as a serious musical statement.

• Balancing ensemble sound around featured soloists
• Articulation consistency across sustained accompaniment passages
• Listening and rhythmic precision in syncopated figures
• Reading from modern concert band orchestration with F horn parts
• Understanding the cornet and trombone as solo voice types within ensemble context