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Early One Morning: Flexible Band/String Ensemble Score & Parts

$50.00 USD
$50.00 USD
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Early One Morning Cover Image
Early One Morning: Flexible Band/String Ensemble Score & Parts

Early One Morning: Flexible Band/String Ensemble Score & Parts

Traditional English Folk Song / arr. David Marlatt

Grade: 1.5

Item: 81-FB149
$50.00
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Description
Eighth Note Publications Flexible Band/String Series provides ultimate flexibility for ensembles with incomplete instrumentation or odd combinations. These pieces are playable by as few as 5 woodwind, brass or string players with or without percussion. This creates the opportunity for a mixed quintet to perform these titles but also allows for performance for 10-15 players up to full a band/orchestra with parts doubling. Great for music camps, contest use or any band room that has non-standard instrumentation.

This folk song is particularly notable for its use in a number of well known folk-song arrangements including one by the English composer Benjamin Britten. It is peaceful and reflective with interesting parts for all. There are sections of melody for all voices. This is a great piece for developing lyrical ensemble playing. (2:55)

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Additional Details
Series: Eighth Note Publications Flexible Band Series
Publisher: Eighth Note Publications
ISBN10: 1-77157-093-8
ISBN13: 978-1-77157-093-0
UPC: 685462020942
SKU: 81-FB149

More about this title

Why we love this

David Marlatt's arrangement respects the meditative character of this folk melody while crafting parts that genuinely matter for every instrument in the ensemble. Rather than padding weak sections, he distributes melodic responsibility throughout the score, ensuring that players from first chair to the back stand engage with the musical narrative. For directors managing incomplete instrumentation or rotating personnel, this is exactly the kind of thoughtful writing that makes mixed ensembles sound whole.

What to expect

The piece unfolds with the quiet dignity of a folk song at dawn. There is no rush here; instead, the arrangement invites sustained, singing tone quality and a willingness to listen to how each voice supports the others. The melody drifts through the ensemble like morning light, peaceful and deliberately paced.

Who it's for

Conductors working with ensembles of any size from a five-person quintet to a full band will find immediate use for this arrangement. It is especially valuable for music camps, festival competitions, and school programs where instrumentation shifts week to week. The Grade 1.5 difficulty level makes it accessible for developing musicians while maintaining enough musical substance to engage advanced students.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the opening melody with gentle rubato; the reflection in this tune comes from allowing breath and space rather than metronomic precision.
  • Balance the inner harmonic voices carefully in passages where they support the melody. These supporting lines keep the ensemble anchored without obscuring the folk tune's simplicity.
  • Let the ensemble breathe together at phrase endings. The peaceful character depends on coordinated releases that feel unhurried.
  • Encourage wide dynamic contrast across the piece. Early One Morning rewards sensitive playing at soft dynamics and will reveal why this melody has endured across centuries of arrangements.

How to use it

This works beautifully as a concert opener that establishes a reflective mood before moving into more energetic repertoire. It pairs well with other traditional or folk-based arrangements and sits comfortably alongside Grade 2 pieces in a typical band concert. Consider programming it early in the season when you're still solidifying ensemble blend and tone.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustained lyrical tone production across phrase lengths
  • Melodic awareness and inner-voice listening in flexible arrangements
  • Balance between primary melody and harmonic support
  • Breath control and phrase shaping at slow tempos
  • Flexibility in reading parts scaled for multiple ensemble sizes

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