Flight of the Banshee: Score
By Roland Barrett
Grade: 0.5 (Very Easy)
Item: 00-PR-0002660
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Description
Inspired by the old Irish tale of the banshee, this work uses only five notes! Great for your very first program, there's a chance for independent creativity with ghastly sound effects from your band members. An intriguing work for your first concert! (1:15) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Flight of the Banshee: Score 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:
Belwin Very Beginning Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
138
SKU:
00-PR-0002660
More about this title
About the Composer: Roland Barrett
Roland Barrett has shaped several generations of band directors and composers through his work at the University of Oklahoma, where he has taught music theory and composition since 2001. His twenty-plus years in academic settings followed a fifteen-year career as Assistant Director of Bands, giving him deep insight into what young musicians need to succeed.
Barrett's catalog includes over two hundred published works for symphonic band, chamber ensembles, and marching band, and his compositions have been performed by the Dallas Wind Symphony, All-State honor groups, and featured on NPR and at major national conventions. He also arranges for the Pride of Oklahoma marching band and has received multiple ASCAP awards for his contributions to the field.
Why we love this
Barrett writes music that actually works for beginning bands without feeling patronizing. The five-note constraint forces creative orchestration and opens the door for your students to make genuine compositional choices through the sound effects section, turning a concert opener into a collaborative musical experience rather than just another warm-up piece.
What to expect
Eerie and playful in equal measure, with the kind of mischievous energy you get when Irish folklore meets a elementary school gymnasium. The work captures the banshee's otherworldly presence through sound design rather than complexity, creating an atmospheric moment that feels both ancient and surprisingly contemporary.
Who it's for
Beginning concert bands preparing their first public performance, or any ensemble looking for an approachable opening number that builds student confidence without requiring technical facility. Directors new to the grade 0.5 level will find the restrictive palette surprisingly liberating.
How to get the most out of it
- Plan the sound effects section during a rehearsal well before the concert; let students experiment with found percussion, hand claps, and vocal effects so the performance feels controlled rather than chaotic.
- Balance the five-note melody across your ensemble so it cuts through the accompaniment figures; the simplicity of the material means clarity of line is everything.
- Keep the tempo steady at the marked pace; with limited harmonic motion, even small rushes or drags become noticeable.
How to use it
Open your first concert with this piece to set an imaginative tone and immediately establish that your band is creative and spirited. Its brief duration (1:15) and programmatic clarity make it an excellent anchor for a thematic concert about storytelling or world music traditions.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and playing from a simplified five-note pitch vocabulary
- Maintaining steady tempo in a simple meter
- Creating and executing non-pitched percussion and vocal effects as an ensemble
- Listening to balance melody and accompaniment in a sparse texture
- Responding to conductor cues for rhythm and dynamics in a short form piece