Hopscotch: Brass Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Balmages understands what makes a tuba soloist sound glorious without sacrificing the ensemble's unified sound. The multi-meter language keeps both performers and listeners engaged, creating a piece that reads as contemporary without alienating groups still building confidence with complex rhythmic structures. At Grade 5, it respects the musicianship and technical maturity of serious ensembles while offering the kind of memorable, performable writing that makes students excited to come to rehearsal.

Hopscotch jumps energetically between meters, creating a kinetic, modern sensibility that feels playful rather than academic. The solo tuba shines at the center, supported by a tight ensemble backdrop that alternates between bold harmonic anchoring and active counter-motion. Audiences hear both the technical ambition and the joy of musicians playing at the top of their craft.

Advanced brass quintets with a confident tuba soloist and a section that can navigate rhythmic complexity with precision. This piece demands mature musicianship from all parts, particularly the tuba, which carries substantial solo responsibility, and secure ensemble awareness from the supporting brass.

• Establish a conductor's click or internal pulse for each meter before rehearsal begins; write out beat patterns in the score so the ensemble can see your framework for the meter shifts.
• Balance the solo tuba voice with supportive harmonies by voicing the other instruments slightly softer during solo passages, then gradually building back up as the tuba relinquishes the melody.
• Work the rhythmic figure that appears in multiple meters as a unit, asking players to feel the underlying pulse beneath the metric surface rather than counting continuously.
• Record a rehearsal and listen for moments where the ensemble rushes into the next meter; these transitions often benefit from a slight breath or reset gesture from the conductor.

Feature this on a concert celebrating chamber music or contemporary brass writing, pairing it with earlier 20th-century quintet repertoire to show the evolution of the genre. Its energy and novelty make it an excellent closing piece for a brass-focused concert or a strong opener if you want to establish the ensemble's advanced capabilities immediately.

• Reading and performing mixed meters (transitions between 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 patterns)
• Maintaining pulse and ensemble unity across metric shifts
• Balancing solo and accompaniment textures within a small ensemble
• Intonation control in multi-meter passages with chromatic movement
• Tuba solo technique, articulation control, and projection in chamber setting