Fire in the Bow: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$55.00 USD

Fire in the Bow: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Fire in the Bow: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-ST6402
Price: 55.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 2

Item: 98-ST6402

Need it now?

Buy Digital Version

$55.00

Shipped

One moment…

Conceived as an energetic and musically rewarding work, this piece also happens to be an excellent vehicle for teaching and reinforcing low 1 fingerings (violin/viola), "backward" extensions (cello), and half position (bass). The piece avoids augmented seconds and focuses on simple finger patterns while exploring dynamic harmonies that create wonderful tension and release throughout. A fantastic opener or closer!

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Fire in the Bow: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

Open in the Player

Jump straight in and assign it today.

Start Your Free Trial

Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.

No sample videos found.

Series: FJH Developing Strings

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 241444365878

SKU: 98-ST6402

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages brings equal fluency to orchestral, band, and chamber repertoire, with performances documented across major venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Sydney Opera House. His compositions have earned significant recognition, including the A. Austin Harding Award and the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light, along with membership in the American Bandmasters Association.

Beyond composing, Balmages maintains an active conducting schedule with all-state ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras worldwide. He holds the position of Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic, and has received the James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award and a presidential commission from the University of Miami.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

Balmages has crafted a piece that solves a genuine pedagogical puzzle: it delivers kinetic energy and musical sophistication while systematically building essential left-hand techniques that students need at this level. The harmonic language creates real dramatic shape without requiring advanced fingering patterns, making it both immediately engaging and thoroughly useful for technique reinforcement.

What to expect

Kinetic and purposeful, with harmonic tension that builds and releases in satisfying arcs. The writing captures energy without relying on empty technical display, keeping students engaged in the musicality beneath the fingerwork.

Who it's for

This works perfectly for Grade 2 string orchestras ready to reinforce foundational positions and fingerings while stepping into more sophisticated harmonic writing. Contest and festival programs benefit from its compact format and immediate musical payoff.

How to get the most out of it

Highlight the dynamic shifts as architectural moments. Students often play through these changes without noticing them; marking the score with crescendo and diminuendo endpoints helps the ensemble hear tension and resolution.
Lock the low 1 fingerings early in rehearsal as muscle memory. Run isolated passages where students play only those notes before integrating them into full phrases.
Balance the cello backward extensions carefully so they sit underneath rather than cutting through the texture. These voicings sound best when the upper strings have clarity.
Use the piece's opening or closing position strategically. The energetic quality works equally well as a concert starter to engage an audience or as a finale that sends them out with momentum.

How to use it

Open a concert with this piece to establish momentum and showcase your orchestra's technical foundation. It pairs well alongside other Grade 2 repertoire that explores different harmonic territory, and its contest-ready status makes it a natural choice for festival season.