December Sky: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$65.00 USD

December Sky: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: December Sky: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1282
Price: 65.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Erik Morales

Grade: 1.5

Item: 98-B1282

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This beautiful yet simple ballad evokes the images of a clear night sky and its humbling grandeur. While all individual parts are quite playable, the work uses interesting harmonies and careful orchestration to make your group shine. A great way to develop musicality, and a gem that surely belongs on your next concert.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, December Sky: 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 Developing Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 674398218455

SKU: 98-B1282

More about this title

About the Composer: Erik Morales

Erik Morales brings a distinctive voice to educational and professional music publishing, balancing artistic sophistication with accessibility. A trumpeter by training, he has written over 150 works spanning wind ensembles, orchestral, jazz, and chamber settings since his publishing debut in 2002. His trumpet compositions have earned recognition at the National Trumpet Competitions and the International Trumpet Guild conferences, while his educational output remains rooted in his early experience arranging for his high school marching band in South Florida.

Morales studied composition at Florida International University and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. His work is characterized by a harmonic language that resonates across genres and audiences worldwide, with commissions from schools and organizations regularly sustaining his creative practice. In 2016, he was inducted into the Louisiana Association for Jazz Education's Hall of Fame.

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Why we love this

The orchestration here rewards careful listening without demanding virtuosity. Grade 1.5 writing that genuinely sounds like something worth hearing gives your band confidence, and the harmonic language is sophisticated enough to engage experienced musicians while remaining fully accessible to developing players. This is the kind of ballad that sounds like an accomplished work rather than educational pablum.

What to expect

Clear, open, and contemplative. The writing creates space and air rather than density, with harmonies that shimmer without becoming complicated. You feel the night sky as stillness and clarity, not complexity.

Who it's for

Developing concert bands wanting accessible literature that doesn't feel like a stepping stone. This works equally well for a Grade 1.5 group ready to tackle musicality or for a stronger ensemble seeking a vehicle for refined ensemble balance and tone production.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the opening melody as a unified line across your section. Even when passing between voices, maintain one consistent arc rather than letting each part breathe independently.
Lock in the tempo early and resist the urge to rush. The piece's power comes from space and resonance, not from forward momentum.
Balance the inner voices carefully during harmonic passages. Many players instinctively play too loud on sustained chords; remind them that blend matters more than projection here.
Pay attention to breath points and phrasing markings in the score. A graceful breath placement can transform a simple passage into something genuinely musical.

How to use it

Position this as a contrast piece in a concert featuring more energetic work, or pair it with other ballads to create a quiet moment that demonstrates your ensemble's control and musicianship. Festival judges consistently reward balanced, singing ballads like this one.