Ghost Carnival: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$55.00 USD

Ghost Carnival: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Ghost Carnival: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-ST6202
Price: 55.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Erik Morales

Grade: 3

Item: 98-ST6202

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With the air of a suspense thriller from beginning to end, this innovative composition highlights a wealth of bowing techniques and effects including tremelo, ponticello, pizzicato, and artificial harmonics (in first violins). Listeners will certainly hear these ghostly spirits come alive while students have an incredible experience learning the piece. Truly original!

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Ghost Carnival: String Orchestra 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 String Orchestra

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 674398225965

SKU: 98-ST6202

More about this title

About the Composer: Erik Morales

Erik Morales has built a prolific composing career spanning over 150 published works across classical, jazz, and commercial idioms. Born in New York City in 1966, he earned his degree from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, and studied composition at Florida International University. His work began shortly after high school when a former band director commissioned him to arrange for marching band, a pivot that eventually opened doors to educational music publishing.

Morales has become known for balancing artistic integrity with pedagogical value, a philosophy that extends across wind, orchestral, jazz, and chamber ensembles. His trumpet works have garnered particular recognition, including premieres at the International Trumpet Guild conferences and inductions into the Louisiana Association for Jazz Education's Hall of Fame. Schools and organizations nationwide commission his work regularly, testament to his ability to write music that satisfies both performers and audiences.

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Why we love this

Ghost Carnival captures the theatrical energy of a thriller while serving as a genuine teaching tool for essential bowing vocabulary. Rather than treating advanced techniques as incidental flourishes, Morales integrates tremolo, ponticello, pizzicato, and artificial harmonics into the narrative itself, so students learn why these techniques matter musically. Grade 3 groups rarely get repertoire this engaging that also demands real technical growth.

What to expect

Eerie and theatrical from the first measure, Ghost Carnival creates an unsettling atmosphere through textural layering and unconventional bowing. The piece builds momentum gradually, weaving together effects that transform the string section into something spectral and alive, then resolves with enough closure to satisfy performers and listeners alike.

Who it's for

Grade 3 string orchestras ready to expand their technical vocabulary without sacrificing musicality. Groups programming Halloween concerts, festival entries, or spring pops programs will find this piece both substantial enough to develop skills and entertaining enough to engage audiences.

How to get the most out of it

Introduce tremolo and ponticello in separate rehearsals before combining them; the contrast between these effects drives much of the piece's atmospheric tension.
Have first violins work the artificial harmonics passage slowly with a tuner, checking both the fundamental pitch and harmonic pitch for accuracy.
Mark the pizzicato sections clearly in all parts and establish a consistent attack across the section; the rhythm here often defines the harmonic movement.
Use the dynamic swells to shape phrasing rather than treating them as technical exercises; let the music breathe between the 'ghostly' moments.

How to use it

Ghost Carnival works as a centerpiece in Halloween or autumn concerts, where it can anchor a thematic program without overshadowing serious repertoire. Alternatively, program it mid-season as a confidence builder; mastering these bowing techniques creates momentum heading into more demanding spring work.