Festival of Lights (with optional chorus): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Sandy Feldstein and John O'Reilly / arr. Sandy Feldstein
Grade: 1 (Very Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0001141
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Description
A wonderful Chanukah special with optional unison choral. In two part form, this composition combines a happy dance-like melody with a solemn prayer-like B section. A perfect winter concert piece. (Grade 1---Correlates with Book 1, Unit 7)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Festival of Lights (with optional chorus): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Basic Band Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PK-0001141
More about this title
About the Composer: Sandy Feldstein
Sandy Feldstein has shaped generations of young musicians through his prolific output of accessible concert band literature. As a composer, arranger, and educator, he developed a keen understanding of what young ensembles need: music that builds confidence, teaches musicianship, and remains genuinely enjoyable to perform.
Why we love this
Feldstein and O'Reilly have written a piece that honors Chanukah with real musical substance rather than surface-level holiday arrangements. The structural clarity of the two-part form gives young bands a concrete model for contrast and development, while the optional chorus keeps the ensemble flexible whether you have singers available or prefer a purely instrumental reading.
What to expect
Bright and celebratory in its opening, the piece shifts into something quieter and more introspective at the midpoint. The juxtaposition of joyful dance rhythms and meditative prayer creates a musical arc that reflects the dual character of the holiday itself.
Who it's for
Grade 1 concert bands looking for winter repertoire with cultural meaning. Directors serving ensembles with access to singers will especially value the flexibility of the optional chorus, which allows the piece to serve both instrumental and mixed programs.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the A section's dance melody with consistent forward motion; resist the urge to drag the tempo despite the 'happy' character.
- Let the B section breathe as genuinely contemplative; this contrast lands harder if the first section stays energized.
- If you include the choral section, balance the singing voices so they blend as an integrated texture rather than sitting on top of the band sound.
- Bring out the harmonic movement underneath the melody; Grade 1 bands often play surface notes without hearing their relationship to the chord structure.
How to use it
Place this as an opener or closer on a winter concert to establish a strong seasonal identity without dominating the program. Its accessibility makes it an excellent choice for a first or second concert slot when you want to build ensemble confidence before moving into more demanding repertoire.
Skills your students will build
- Contrast in articulation and phrasing between contrasting sections
- Maintaining steady tempo and rhythmic precision in a dance-like melody
- Ensemble balance and blend within a homophonic texture
- Musical expression through dynamics and tempo rather than virtuosity