He Shall Feed His Flock (from Messiah): Brass Quintet Score & Parts

Handel's aria gains fresh resonance in brass quintet color, and David Marlatt's arrangement honors both the original's dignity and the medium's character. The featured horn line sits beautifully within the ensemble texture, making this a rare opportunity to showcase a principal horn in a work of genuine historical and musical substance. Programming this alongside choral selections from Messiah or other Baroque sacred works creates natural thematic cohesion.

The aria breathes with Baroque elegance and restraint, its flowing horn melody evoking both tenderness and nobility. The arrangement preserves the hymnic quality of the original while letting the brass quintet's warmth and blend create an intimate, meditative soundscape.

Intermediate to advanced brass quintets seeking substantial repertoire that bridges the classical and contemporary concert stage. This arrangement works equally well for community brass ensembles, college brass quintets, and high school advanced brass groups with a strong principal horn.

• Establish the harmonic foundation early in rehearsals by anchoring the tuba and lower brass before the horn takes its lyrical passages; this allows the melody to emerge with clarity and support.
• Shape the horn line with long, singing phrases rather than note-by-note articulation; Baroque style rewards sustained lines even within ornamental figures.
• Balance the ensemble so the horn melody projects without overpowering the supporting voices, particularly the second horn and trombones that provide harmonic color.
• Use the original Messiah recording or a vocal recording as a listening reference to ground your interpretation in the aria's original character and phrasing intent.

This piece excels as a winter or Christmas concert selection, especially when paired with other sacred instrumental arrangements. It also serves as a moving transition moment in mixed programs, offering a moment of beauty before or after more energetic contemporary works.

• Sustained legit singing style on a wind instrument
• Baroque phrasing and ornamentation within an ensemble context
• Balancing a featured melody against supporting harmonic voices
• Ensemble blend and intonation across the brass quintet texture