Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Bernotas captures the cinematic sweep of Howard's score without overwhelming a 3.5 level ensemble. The arrangement smartly distributes the five featured themes across your band, so every section gets memorable material rather than watching one group carry the whole number.

Magic with texture and intention rather than bombast. The score balances its fantastical elements with genuine emotional moments, creating space for your musicians to shape phrases and bring character to the writing.

Concert bands at the intermediate level looking for movie music that actually engages students beyond name recognition. Directors programming pops concerts or family-friendly events will find this arrangement sits at a satisfying musical level without oversimplifying the source material.

• Lean into the mystery of "The Secrets of Dumbledore" by keeping the opening sparse and controlled; let the dynamics build gradually rather than rushing to full volume.
• Balance the melodic content between your woodwinds and brass in "Hedwig's Theme." This familiar motif will resonate with your audience, but it needs clarity over power.
• Mark your section entrances carefully in the transitions between themes. Bernotas weaves multiple ideas together, and clean handoffs between statements prevent muddiness.
• Shape "Lally" and "The Room We Require" as contrasting moods rather than separate pieces. The emotional trajectory across the movement matters as much as nailing individual sections.

Pair this with other film music to build a thematic concert, or open a spring pops show with it and establish the evening's energy from the first downbeat. At just over four minutes, it works perfectly as a curtain-raiser before moving into longer works.

• Connecting melodic lines across instrument families
• Shifting between contrasting moods and maintaining ensemble cohesion
• Balancing accompaniment figures with soloistic material
• Executing clean section entries in an arrangement with multiple overlapping ideas