Incantation and Dance: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Chance's debut for band arrived fully formed, and this Second Edition finally gives students and conductors access to his original intentions after decades of working from corrupted parts. The percussion writing alone justifies programming it; he treats timpani, snare drum, and mallet instruments as equal partners in shaping the work's dramatic arc rather than as accompaniment.

The work opens with ritual and mystery, its sparse textures creating an almost ceremonial atmosphere before erupting into propulsive rhythmic vitality. Underneath the surface energy runs genuine melodic substance; this is not merely a vehicle for virtuosity but rather a composition with something genuine to say.

Concert bands at the intermediate to advanced level will find this essential repertoire that has proven its worth across five decades. It works equally well as a centerpiece for a formal concert or as a bridging piece that connects traditional wind band literature to more contemporary compositional approaches.

• Balance the melodic material across sections carefully during the first section; the haunting opening quality depends on each voice hearing itself clearly within the texture.
• Attend to the percussion scoring as a soloist would approach a chamber part. Chance's rhythmic figures in the drums are integral to forward momentum, not decorative.
• Shape the dance section with articulation precision. The contrast between the incantation's sustained quality and the dance's rhythmic vitality relies on the band's commitment to clear tonguing and separation.
• Let the final build breathe naturally rather than rushing. The accumulation of energy is most effective when paced deliberately.

Place this early in a concert to establish artistic credibility and capture attention with its distinctive sound world, or position it as the anchor of a program exploring American band composers from mid-century forward. Its eight-and-a-half minute duration and moderate technical demands make it ideal for festivals, adjudicated events, or community performances where you want to program something of real substance without excessive difficulty.

• Independent melodic line playing within dense harmonic textures
• Precision rhythmic execution across mixed meters and syncopated figures
• Dynamic control through extended passages requiring sustained intensity
• Ensemble balance when multiple parts carry equally important musical material
• Percussion sectional cohesion and independence from the main band sound