I Dreamed a Dream (from Les Miserables): Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
As performed by Alain Boublil / As performed by Claude-Michel Schonberg / Arranged by Roger Holmes
Grade: 3
Item: 35-PK00273562
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Description
Here's the touching ballad from the landmark musical (and recent motion picture) "Les Miserables" in a nicely paced and solidly scored arrangement for young jazz ensembles. A beautiful change of pace for any occasion.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00273562
More about this title
About the Artist: Alain Boublil
Alain Boublil co-created Les Misérables with composer Claude-Michel Schönberg in 1980, crafting a libretto that transformed Victor Hugo's novel into one of the most performed musicals worldwide. His gift for writing deeply emotional character moments made songs like "I Dreamed a Dream" resonate across generations of performers and audiences.
Why we love this
Roger Holmes's arrangement respects the intimate vulnerability of this moment while giving it fresh harmonic color and swing sensibility that fits young jazz ensembles perfectly. The piece offers students a chance to inhabit a character's emotional arc through jazz language rather than traditional theater delivery, which deepens their interpretive skills significantly.
What to expect
A quiet moment of painful reflection set to gentle swing. The arrangement wraps Holmes's jazz voicings around a melody that aches with longing, creating space for students to discover how vulnerability and sophistication coexist in music.
Who it's for
Jazz ensembles at the intermediate level seeking repertoire with genuine emotional weight and theatrical substance. Directors programming concerts that mix Broadway with traditional jazz standards will find this a natural conversation starter with audiences.
How to get the most out of it
- Keep the melody singing above the harmony; this is a confessional moment, not a showpiece for the rhythm section.
- Let the band breathe with the soloist rather than mechanically keeping time. Rubato works here when everyone understands the emotional pulse.
- Balance the softer dynamics in the verses. Grade 3 ensembles sometimes push too hard too soon and lose the quiet desperation the text demands.
- Shape phrases toward the lyrical climax; resist stopping at phrase endings and let lines connect across the form.
How to use it
Pair this with uptempo jazz selections to show the full range of what your ensemble can express. It works beautifully as a second-half opener when audiences need to settle into something introspective, or as a closing statement if you're building a thematic concert around resilience and hope.
Skills your students will build
- Singing through jazz harmony while maintaining ballad style and phrasing
- Balancing solo and ensemble roles in a small group setting
- Reading and responding to dynamic and tempo subtleties without explicit notation
- Connecting lyrical text to harmonic choices and rubato
- Maintaining rhythmic cohesion while playing with expressive flexibility