Excelsior!: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Curnow understands what second-year players need: a piece that sounds impressive without asking them to navigate technical extremes. The melodies are strong enough to carry a full concert, the rhythm section has real work to do, and the overall arc builds natural momentum. It's the kind of overture that reminds students why they joined band in the first place.

Bright and purposeful, with the feel of marching forward into something larger than yourself. The energy never flags across the two minutes and twenty seconds, and there's genuine melodic substance beneath the accessible surface.

Second-year concert bands looking for a confident, freestanding opener or festival selection. Players with one year of experience can handle the technical demands while still feeling challenged by the ensemble work required.

• Keep the tempo steady and driving from the opening; this piece thrives on forward motion rather than flexibility
• Balance the melodic line across your woodwinds so that no single section disappears when the brass enters
• Mark the dynamics clearly in rehearsal and insist on sharp attacks on the sforzandi; they define the piece's character
• Have your percussion section map out the rhythmic patterns early; locked rhythm section playing lifts the entire ensemble

Pair this with a lyrical slow piece and a contrasting novelty or lighter work to build a complete concert arc. It also serves as a strong opener for festival competitions, especially when you want to establish the ensemble's confidence and control from the first note.

• Maintaining steady pulse while executing dynamic contrasts
• Blending melodic line across multiple sections
• Executing clean articulation in moderate to brisk tempo
• Reading straightforward concert band instrumentation and balance