Fiesta del Sol: E-flat Baritone Saxophone
(Paso Doble)
By Gary Fagan
Grade: 2.5
Item: 98-PC-0000029_BTX
$3.00
Pickup currently not available
Description
This Spanish Paso Doble will be a favorite of your young concert band. The moderately slow Spanish march style is uncommon in music designed for younger bands, and students will learn to play in this slower marcato style quickly. There are many opportunities for dynamic contrast, and the trombones will love their exciting countermelody in the final Trio section. Go on a musical journey of celebration with Fiesta Del Sol.
Fiesta del Sol: E-flat Baritone Saxophone isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series:
RWS - Developing Band
Publisher:
RWS Music Company
SKU:
98-PC-0000029_BTX
More about this title
About the Composer: Gary Fagan
Gary Fagan's career spans four decades as a band director in Albemarle County, Virginia, where he shaped generations of young musicians before stepping into university teaching. His compositions and arrangements have traveled from regional clinics like the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic to performances at the White House and a gubernatorial inauguration, earning recognition as Central Virginia's Outstanding Middle School Teacher and multiple educator awards from state and arts organizations.
Fagan holds degrees in Music Education from Bridgewater College and a master's degree from James Madison University, where he now supervises student teachers and teaches arranging as adjunct faculty. Active as a clinician, adjudicator, and percussionist with the Charlottesville Band, he maintains membership in ASCAP, the National Band Association, and Phi Beta Mu Bandmasters Fraternity while remaining engaged with state and national music education organizations.
Why we love this
The moderately slow paso doble tempo is refreshing at this grade level, where march styles tend toward brisk tempos. Fagan writes with keen awareness of what young bands can execute; the marcato articulation style sits naturally under the fingers, and the dynamic architecture gives every section moments to shine without requiring virtuosic demands.
What to expect
A celebratory Spanish procession filtered through the clarity of concert band writing. The moderately slow march pace invites players into a rhythmic groove where precision and articulation matter as much as volume, creating a warm, energized sound that younger players find satisfying to produce.
Who it's for
Grade 2.5 concert bands seeking festival or contest material with genuine musical substance. The Spanish idiom offers cultural variety without requiring specialized technique, making it accessible to developing ensembles while remaining musically rewarding.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the march character through weight and space in the attack rather than speed. The slower tempo rewards clarity of articulation; lock in the exact length of each marcato note across the ensemble.
- Balance the trombone countermelody in the final Trio against the primary melodic material. These players have earned exciting material; let them project without overwhelming the overall texture.
- Map your dynamic contrasts across rehearsals before you polish articulation. The piece gains energy through strategic use of dynamics, so establish where those shifts occur early.
How to use it
This works naturally on a festival or contest program where you want to feature a contrasting style without programming exclusively in march or quick-tempo genres. Place it mid-program to demonstrate your band's stylistic range and control, or pair it with other multicultural selections to build a thematic set.
Skills your students will build
- Marcato articulation in a sustained march context
- Dynamic contrast and shaping across full ensemble textures
- Spanish rhythmic idioms and cultural style
- Part independence, particularly in the trombone section
- Sustaining consistent tempo and pulse in a moderate march tempo