Enemy: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

This arrangement captures the propulsive energy of a streaming phenomenon without requiring advanced technical skills from your ensemble. Chris M. Bernotas has preserved the song's signature intensity and the layered production that makes it so compelling, while scaling it thoughtfully for Grade 2.5 strings. Your students will feel the drive of contemporary music they actually know, which builds real engagement in rehearsal.

A driving, modern pulse wrapped in orchestral textures. The piece carries the urgency and emotional weight of the original while translating its electronic and vocal elements into string writing that feels both fresh and satisfying to play.

String orchestras at the intermediate level who want to program contemporary music that speaks to their students' actual listening lives. This works for groups seeking accessible pop-rock repertoire that doesn't sacrifice musicality or engagement.

• Lock the pulse. The rhythm drives this piece; establish a steady tempo in early rehearsals and maintain it through the chorus to sustain the forward momentum.
• Balance the melodic voices against the rhythmic foundation. Soloists should project over the steady accompaniment figures in the lower strings.
• Shape the intensity arc. The chorus builds deliberately; resist the urge to play it at full volume from the start. Let dynamics rise through the section.
• Articulate cleanly during rhythmic passages. Clear, uniform attacks in the ensemble sections will tighten the arrangement and enhance its modern sound.

Program this as a centerpiece for a concert celebrating contemporary music, or pair it with other pop arrangements to create a thematic set. Its 2:15 duration and immediate appeal make it an excellent encore or crowd-pleaser in a mixed repertoire concert.

• Maintaining rhythmic precision in contemporary grooves
• Balancing multiple textural layers in ensemble playing
• Reading and executing pop-influenced articulation and dynamics
• Sustaining musical momentum through repetitive harmonic structures