Festivity: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Owens writes music that delivers impact without requiring advanced technique, meaning your students genuinely sound impressive within a few rehearsals. The piece opens your concert with unmistakable energy and momentum. A composer who spent 30 years in the rehearsal room knows exactly what works.

Festivity radiates warmth and joy with a straightforward melodic character that invites the audience in immediately. The driving rhythms give the band something tangible to lock onto, while the scoring ensures every voice contributes to the overall brightness and momentum.

Grade 2.5 bands seeking a festival or concert opener that sounds polished and celebratory without demanding advanced musicianship. Directors who want their students to feel the confidence that comes from playing repertoire that sits well in the band and executes cleanly.

• Keep the rhythmic drive steady and never let the pulse drag, especially during unison passages. The energy comes from precision and air, not just volume.
• Balance the bold melodies across your clarinet and trumpet sections so one voice doesn't overwhelm the harmony underneath.
• Shape the dynamic arc from the opening through the entire 2:29; resist the urge to peak too early and leave nowhere to go.
• Lock the section entrances at key transitions. Tight ensemble attacks make the piece feel polished and professional.

Open your fall concert with this piece to set an uplifting tone and demonstrate what your band can accomplish early in the season. It works equally well as a festival entry where you want to make a strong, confident impression within the first minute.

• Executing clean ensemble attacks and releases
• Maintaining steady pulse and rhythmic precision in driving contexts
• Balancing independent melodic lines within a homophonic texture
• Shaping dynamic contrast while sustaining a consistent emotional tone