Feller from Fortune: Flexible Band/String Ensemble Score & Parts

Energetic and folk-rooted, with the rhythmic vitality of a jig that's been given concert hall ambitions. The piece bounces with a Newfoundland spirit while offering moments for individual players to step into the spotlight and show what they can do.

This is for any ensemble director managing the real-world challenge of incomplete or non-standard instrumentation, whether due to scheduling, instrumentation imbalance, or the fluid roster of a summer camp or festival. It's equally valuable as a contest piece for groups confident enough to celebrate flexibility rather than hide from it.

• Balance the solo opportunities carefully so they land with clarity; in smaller ensembles, a featured line needs room to breathe without being buried.
• Lock in the mixed meter sections by keeping the pulse steady rather than trying to anticipate the changes; let the phrase shape guide the transitions.
• Give the percussion parts the attention they deserve; they carry rhythmic energy and authenticity, not filler.
• Experiment with doubling strategically when you have larger instrumentation; use it to thicken textures during the energetic sections while keeping solos transparent.

Program this as an opening number to set an upbeat, accessible tone for your audience, or use it as your festival entry when you want judges to hear solid musicianship and smart arranging rather than a massive instrumentation roster. It works especially well in mixed programs where you're celebrating different ensemble configurations across a concert.

• Reading mixed meter (3/4 and 4/4 transitions)
• Balancing solo passages with ensemble support
• Rhythmic precision in folk-inspired material
• Part independence in flexible instrumentation contexts
• Perception of how arrangement and orchestration serve melody