Gargoyles: Score
By Doug Spata
Grade: 2
Item: 00-PR-0000375
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Description
The ancient, brooding stone protectors are brought to life with fury and flourish in this dramatic concert piece. Growling melodies are passed between all sections of the orchestra while the modal harmonies evoke ancient chants. The notes and rhythms are accessible for younger students, and more advanced players can use "Gargoyles" to reinforce spiccato bowing techniques. This piece is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats! 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, Gargoyles: 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:
Highland/Etling String Orchestra
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
62
SKU:
00-PR-0000375
More about this title
About the Composer: Doug Spata
Doug Spata came to composition through a clarinet player's ear, but his years directing student orchestras fundamentally shaped his voice as a writer. He thinks naturally in strings, understands what young musicians can achieve, and refuses to talk down to them musically. His works have earned recognition across the country and internationally, ranging from opera and ballet to symphonies and chamber music for groups of every size.
Why we love this
Spata captures something genuinely theatrical here without requiring your students to act. The modal writing and section-to-section melody passing create real ensemble dialogue, and younger players feel immediately successful with accessible rhythms while more advanced violinists get legitimate spiccato work. It's the rare piece that satisfies both the musical and technical development of a mixed-ability orchestra.
What to expect
Stone coming alive. Medieval and ominous, yet energetic and almost playful in the way the sections chase each other with those growling lines. The piece moves between moments of ancient, echoing stillness and sudden bursts of coordinated fury.
Who it's for
Grade 2 orchestras that want a concert piece with genuine dramatic impact and real learning built in. Directors seeking Halloween programming or a festival piece that works for younger ensembles while still rewarding more developed players will find exactly what they need here.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the growling melodies with slight dynamic swells as they pass from section to section; this creates the sense of the gargoyles awakening and communicating with each other.
- Emphasize the modal character of the harmonies by letting the sustained tones breathe. Resist the urge to rush, especially in the quieter moments that evoke those ancient chants.
- Separate your spiccato articulation clearly from any marcato passages. The distinction between bouncing and jabbing is what gives the piece its dramatic edge.
- Use the recorded accompaniment in rehearsal to lock rhythms, but pull it out once your students are secure so they experience conducting each other's parts directly.
How to use it
Save this for your Halloween concert or fall festival if you want a show-stopping opener that immediately grabs an audience. It also works as a strong mid-program contrast piece in a more traditional concert, where it breaks up longer lyrical selections without demanding extensive rehearsal time from your ensemble.
Skills your students will build
- Spiccato bowing technique and control
- Passing melody lines between sections with musical continuity
- Playing with modal harmonic centers rather than traditional major/minor tonality
- Coordinating articulation and dynamics within and across string sections
- Creating dramatic character through ensemble unity and precise attacks