Donkey Riding: Brass Quintet Score & Parts

Energetic and warm. The folksong melody carries a familiar, inviting quality that audiences recognize instantly, but Coakley's treatment keeps it fresh and engaging. The rhythmic interplay gives the piece a buoyant, playful character that never tips into cuteness.

Brass quintets looking for a piece that entertains without oversimplifying the writing. This works equally well for groups preparing for competitions or planning a concert that needs repertoire with genuine musical substance and immediate appeal.

• Balance the melody as it passes between voices. When the lead moves from trumpet to French horn to tuba, make sure the transition feels seamless rather than like a handoff.
• Lock the rhythm section (trombone and tuba) early in rehearsal. The rhythmic variety that makes this piece exciting depends on a rock-solid foundation from the lower voices.
• Shape the phrasing in longer melodic lines with gentle dynamic swells rather than sudden changes. The folksong character works best when phrases breathe naturally.
• Articulation matters more here than raw power. Clarity in the rhythmic figures will highlight Coakley's clever part-writing better than volume.

Program this as a contrasting showpiece alongside more serious contemporary or classical works. It's ideal for a festival slot where you need something that judges will remember and audiences will enjoy, and it works beautifully as a concert closer or as the opener when you want to establish energy from the first note.

• Executing rhythmic variety and syncopation in ensemble context
• Passing melodic lines between instruments with balance and continuity
• Maintaining ensemble cohesion through changing metric or rhythmic textures
• Playing a familiar melody in unfamiliar arrangements (transposition across voices)