Fanfare For The Festival Of Lights: Score
Arranged by Evan VanDoren
Grade: 3.5
Item: 98-PR-RWS2471
$10.00
Pickup currently not available
Description
Transcribed from Evan VanDoren's original work for band, Fanfare for the Festival of Lights weaves two traditional Hanukkah melodies, "Ma'oz Tzur" and "The Dreidel Song" into a colorful, rousing celebration! Evan VanDoren has masterfully crafted an approachable, mature-sounding composition that will challenge your best performers while meeting the needs of your developing players. Get your next holiday concert started with energy and excitement! (2:22)
Fanfare For The Festival Of Lights: Score isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series:
RWS - Concert Strings
Publisher:
RWS Music Company
SKU:
98-PR-RWS2471
More about this title
About the Arranger: Evan VanDoren
Evan VanDoren is an accomplished arranger and composer whose work spans concert band, wind ensemble, and string orchestra literature. His arrangements are known for their accessibility without sacrificing musical substance, making them valuable additions to school music programs at all levels.
Why we love this
VanDoren's transcription strikes an uncommon balance: it opens the door for developing string players to tackle a piece with genuine maturity while giving your strongest musicians moments that genuinely engage them. The integration of two beloved Hanukkah melodies feels organic rather than pasted together, and the energy carries through without relying on arrangement tricks to impress.
What to expect
The piece radiates celebration without sentimentality. Traditional melodies emerge with clarity and warmth, framed by orchestration that sounds fuller and more sophisticated than the grade level might suggest. It's the kind of arrangement that reminds players why they love making music together.
Who it's for
String orchestras at the intermediate level (roughly Grades 3-4) will find this accessible without feeling condescended to. It works equally well for a full developing ensemble and for a stronger group looking for a bright, focused concert piece that doesn't demand weeks of rehearsal.
How to get the most out of it
- Keep the rhythmic drive consistent from the opening; the festive character hinges on forward momentum rather than lingering on individual phrases.
- Balance the melody between your first violins and violas when the second traditional tune enters, ensuring both lines project clearly without one overwhelming the other.
- Use sectional rehearsals early to lock the harmonic foundation (cello and bass lines), which frees your upper strings to focus on articulation and phrasing.
How to use it
Program this as an opener or closer to your winter concert; its energy and cultural significance make it an ideal anchor for a holiday program that includes secular and seasonal repertoire. At 2:22, it also fits naturally into longer concert arcs without consuming excessive rehearsal time.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing melody and accompaniment across different instrument families
- Maintaining rhythmic precision in a driven tempo
- Articulation and phrasing within a celebratory context
- Reading multiple traditional melodies woven into a single arrangement
- Intonation awareness when sustained notes support moving material