Forever...: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$50.00 USD

Forever...: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Forever...: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1586
Price: 50.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 1.5;2

Item: 98-B1586

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This powerful and contemplative lyrical work explores a wealth of emotions. Beginning in a very subdued manner, the music slowly and steadily builds, becoming more and more uplifting throughout. Deceptive key changes lead into actual ones, shattering the perception of the listener and leaving nothing but raw emotion.

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

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Series: FJH Developing Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

SKU: 98-B1586

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages has established himself as a composer and conductor with an extraordinary range, moving fluidly between orchestral, band, and chamber music contexts. His works have reached audiences in prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House, performed by ensembles spanning from professional orchestras to school programs. He received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association and won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light. An elected member of the American Bandmasters Association, Balmages was honored with the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts.

His music has been performed at significant national events, including the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service attended by President Obama and Vice President Biden. The University of Miami commissioned him to compose for the inauguration of its sixth president, Dr. Julio Frenk. As a conductor, Balmages maintains regular engagements with all-state and regional ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras worldwide, with notable appearances at the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, and numerous national conferences. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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Why we love this

Forever... delivers exactly what early-level bands need: a piece that grows from intimate vulnerability into genuine emotional impact without requiring technical fireworks. The deceptive and actual key changes create real sophistication in the harmonic language, challenging students to listen critically while the gradual dynamic and textural build rewards careful ensemble attention.

What to expect

Forever... begins in hushed vulnerability, inviting listeners into an intimate musical space. As the work unfolds, it gradually emerges from restraint into something luminous and affirming, with harmonic surprises that shift the emotional landscape and leave the band with a sense of catharsis and raw honesty.

Who it's for

This piece is ideal for Grade 1.5-2 concert bands seeking repertoire that teaches genuine musicality and emotional phrasing without overwhelming inexperienced players. It works equally well for groups entering their first contest or festival season and for established programs wanting a lyrical centerpiece that commands attention without technical demands.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the opening with extreme restraint; let the subdued beginning establish the emotional foundation so the subsequent growth feels earned rather than sudden.
Balance transparency in the lower voices during the early section; without clear harmonic support from the bass and middle parts, the gradual buildup loses its architecture.
Mark the deceptive key changes clearly in rehearsal so students understand where the harmonic expectations shift, then listen for how those moments feel different from the actual modulations that follow.
Control the dynamic climb with gradual increments rather than sudden jumps; the power of this piece emerges from steady accumulation, not dramatic lurches.

How to use it

Program this as the emotional core of a concert, positioning it between more energetic works to give audiences a moment of genuine reflection. It pairs naturally with other lyrical pieces at this level, or it can stand alone as a festival entry that judges recognize for its musical maturity and compositional integrity.