Festival on the Rivers: Score
By Rob Grice
Grade: 2.5
Item: 98-DB1056S
$8.25
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Description
Here is an exciting overture for the young concert band in the conventional A-B-A form. A dance-like main theme is scored in the woodwinds with a bright, driving brass and percussion accompaniment. A short alto saxophone solo highlights the lush B section before returning to the main theme and coda. Excellent for concert and festival. (4:30)
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Additional Details
Series:
FJH Young Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-DB1056S
More about this title
About the Composer: Rob Grice
Rob Grice has built a career writing music that works in real rehearsal rooms. His compositions and arrangements have traveled from Australia to Japan, appearing at the Midwest Clinic, Carnegie Hall, and competitions across the country. His pieces consistently show up on state and national contest lists, which tells you something about their musicality and craft.
Grice's strength comes from his teaching background. He has worked with elementary and secondary students as well as community college musicians, experience that informs every note he writes. This dual life as educator and composer earned him recognition as Secondary Teacher of the Year in Enterprise, Alabama, and a Golden Apple Award. He remains active as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, bringing that same pedagogical insight to ensembles nationwide.
Why we love this
Festival on the Rivers delivers exactly what Grade 2.5 bands need: engaging melodic material that sits well in the woodwinds, straightforward harmonic support from brass and percussion, and enough musicality to keep an ensemble's attention. The alto saxophone solo in the B section gives you a featured moment without asking for advanced technique, and the A-B-A structure is transparent enough that students understand the form while playing it.
What to expect
Bright and celebratory, with a rhythmic vitality that comes from the dance-like theme in the woodwinds. The B section settles into a more lyrical mood before the energy returns, giving the piece emotional shape rather than simply driving forward for four and a half minutes.
Who it's for
Second and third year concert bands ready for a piece with clear structure and accessible instrumentation. The Grade 2.5 level works well for developing ensembles that want something festival-ready without technical barriers.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the main theme between woodwind melody and brass accompaniment by letting the saxophones and flutes lead without drowning in the brass color beneath them.
- Shape the alto saxophone solo with clear phrasing; it's the emotional center of the piece, so ask your soloist to breathe musically rather than mechanically.
- Tighten the rhythmic drive of the opening section by locking the percussion with the quarter-note pulse in the lower brass.
- Use the return to the main theme as an opportunity to bring back energy; the coda will land better if the restatement feels fresh rather than routine.
How to use it
Open a concert with this overture to establish an uplifting tone, or program it mid-set to refresh the audience's energy. Its four-and-a-half-minute length makes it an ideal opener for a multi-piece suite, and its festival credentials make it natural choice for spring competition programs.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing melody and accompaniment in a multi-voice texture
- Executing a clear A-B-A form and understanding how themes return with variation
- Supporting a featured solo without overshadowing the soloist
- Maintaining rhythmic precision in dance-like figures across the ensemble
- Phrasing longer melodic lines in the woodwind section