In Darkest Night: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$48.00 USD

In Darkest Night: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: In Darkest Night: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-20710
Price: 48.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Barry E. Kopetz

Grade: 1 (Very Easy)

Item: 00-20710

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In Darkest Night was composed to highlight the dark, thick and rich quality of the key of C minor. As musical keys have long been associated with various states of emotion, C minor has often been called the "key of darkness." The slow introduction presents the primary theme in augmented fashion over a C pedal point, leading to the robust Allegro Ritmico. The theme is aggressive, poignant, terse, and yes . . . dark! The piece concludes with a series of rapid, pounding, off-beat C minor triads preceding the final chord. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

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Series: Alfred Debut Series

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 122

UPC: 038081207520

SKU: 00-20710

More about this title

About the Composer: Barry E. Kopetz

Barry E. Kopetz has served on the faculty at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, where he conducts the Wind Symphony and Chamber Winds while teaching conducting, rehearsal techniques, and arranging. His academic career includes positions at the University of Utah, University of Minnesota, and Bowling Green State University, along with public school teaching in Ohio and South Carolina. He holds degrees from Ohio State University (bachelor's and master's) and Indiana University (doctorate with distinction), and studied conducting with Frederick Fennell in Tokyo in 1989.

As a composer and arranger, Kopetz has published more than 50 works and maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and adjudicator across the United States and Australia. He contributes analytical essays to Instrumentalist magazine, has worked in orchestration for television and film, and was elected to membership in the American Bandmasters Association in 1998.

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Why we love this

Kopetz harnesses the inherent weight and gravity of C minor without relying on bombast or overcomplication, making this an ideal Grade 1 opener for young ensembles learning to shape dark, sustained sonorities. The formal architecture is crystal clear: slow introduction with an augmented theme over pedal point, followed by a rhythmically urgent Allegro that gives students a concrete target for contrast and energy.

What to expect

The slow introduction creates an atmosphere of weight and introspection, with the augmented melody sitting atop a grounding C pedal like a question posed in shadow. The Allegro Ritmico breaks that restraint with aggressive, pointed rhythmic figures that feel urgent without becoming frantic, finally hammering home off-beat triads that feel both relentless and inevitable.

Who it's for

Young concert bands tackling their first programmatic or thematic work will find this piece both manageable and musically substantial. Grade 1 players benefit from clear formal divisions and a straightforward harmonic language that lets them focus on tone quality, balance, and ensemble precision without navigating complex chord progressions or shifting meters.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the sustained C pedal point beneath the augmented theme in the slow introduction; resist the urge to let younger players crescendo uncontrollably and cloud the harmonic foundation.
Lock the Allegro Ritmico's rhythm with precision before worrying about dynamics. The off-beat C minor triads near the end demand clean articulation and ensemble cohesion.
Use the tonal warmth of the lower woodwinds and brass to reinforce the 'dark, thick and rich' quality Kopetz specified; avoid thin, bright tone production in this key.

How to use it

Program this as an opener or early-set piece when you want to establish a serious, focused tone before lighter selections. It works equally well as a contest or festival submission, offering adjudicators evidence that your ensemble understands tone production, balance, and formal clarity at an accessible level.