Ghost in the Living Room: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Playful and mischievous, with a melodic simplicity that belies the clever orchestration. The glissando moments add theatrical shimmer, and the lyrics lodge themselves firmly in players' and audiences' minds.

String orchestras at the elementary to early middle school level looking for a Halloween or fall concert feature that lets singers and instrumentalists share the same piece. Ensembles with access to vocalists, whether your own orchestra members or neighboring choir, will find this especially rewarding.

• Teach the lyrics first. Once students know the melody and words, the rhythm clicks into place naturally, and they'll internalize the phrasing without counting.
• Coordinate the glissando timing across all sections before full rehearsal. A brief sectional focusing only on that gesture prevents stumbling when the moment arrives.
• Balance the sung melody against the orchestral texture. The vocal line should be clearly heard, but the strings around it need enough presence to maintain the arrangement's color.

Schedule this as a concert centerpiece in October or as a Halloween week special feature. It works beautifully either as an instrumental piece or with vocalists; if you have both options available, staging it with singers creates a memorable stand-out moment that audiences will talk about long after the concert.

• Playing glissando on strings with control and ensemble precision
• Reading simple melodic lines with rhythmic text underlay
• Balancing the volume of doubled parts (upper strings) to blend without overwhelming
• Coordinate with vocalists while maintaining instrumental independence
• Synchronizing cello and bass parts in rhythmic unison