Ever Braver, Ever Stronger (An American Elegy): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Gordon L. Goodwin
Grade: 3 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0005351
$72.00
Pickup currently not available
Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
Parts Added to Cart!
Related Items
Ever Braver, Ever Stronger (An American Elegy): Concert Band Conductor Score |
$9.00
|
View |
Description
Inspired by our national tragedy suffered on September 11th, this emotionally charged original ballad from the pen of Gordon Goodwin will satisfy your ensemble's musical needs. Moving and lush, this very musical work is a real crowd pleaser. (3:32)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Ever Braver, Ever Stronger (An American Elegy): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
Open in the Player
Jump straight in and assign it today.
Start Your Free Trial
Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series:
Pop Concert Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
122
SKU:
00-PK-0005351
More about this title
About the Composer: Gordon Goodwin
Gordon Goodwin has been composing music since childhood, writing complete, fully realized pieces by ear at an age when most children are learning scales. His gift for orchestration and arrangement caught the attention of film and television producers, earning him three Emmy Awards and multiple Grammy nominations for his work on major motion pictures including Bad Boys II, Con Air, Remember the Titans, and Star Trek: Nemesis. His scores have also enhanced dozens of television productions across the industry.
Beyond his film and television work, Goodwin has written for and collaborated with world-class artists ranging from Christina Aguilera to Ray Charles to Quincy Jones. He has guest conducted major symphony orchestras in Atlanta, Dallas, Utah, Seattle, Toronto, and London. Since 2000, he has led Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, a Los Angeles-based jazz ensemble that has earned Grammy recognition for its innovative recordings and arrangements.
Why we love this
Goodwin brings a film composer's sense of dramatic architecture to this patriotic ballad, crafting a piece that builds with genuine emotional weight rather than relying on bombast. The Grade 3 scoring is sophisticated without demanding virtuosic technique, allowing your ensemble to focus on musical storytelling and expressive phrasing. It's a work that audiences hear in reverent silence, then respond to with genuine feeling.
What to expect
This piece unfolds with the cinematic restraint of film scoring; it doesn't announce itself loudly but instead draws you in through lyrical melody and rich harmonic support. The texture is lush and moving, building from intimate passages to fuller, more powerful moments, all while maintaining an elegiac dignity that feels both personal and collective.
Who it's for
Bands at the Grade 3 level looking for meaningful concert repertoire that connects with audiences. Directors seeking a patriotic piece with genuine artistic substance, not just functional ceremonial music. Groups programming summer concerts or 4th of July events who want something that honors the occasion while showcasing musicality.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the melodic lines with long-term phrasing in mind; this ballad asks for sustained musical gestures rather than note-by-note articulation. Give your ensemble permission to breathe with the phrase.
- Balance the harmonic texture carefully in the quieter passages. The lush scoring can muddy if lower voices aren't transparent; clarity of voice leading matters here.
- Allow space for the emotional arc to develop. The piece gains power through restraint in earlier sections, so resist the urge to crescendo too early.
How to use it
Program this as an anchor piece in a patriotic concert or summer pops event, placing it where it commands focused attention rather than as background music. It pairs well with other concert band standards in a mixed program, or can stand alone as the centerpiece of a 4th of July celebration concert. The 3:32 length makes it suitable for television or radio broadcasts of holiday observances.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining long melodic lines with appropriate phrase shaping and breathing
- Balancing transparent voice leading within lush harmonic textures
- Playing with emotional control and restraint to build cumulative power
- Responding to expressive conducting and dynamic shaping across sustained passages