Interplay: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

McBrien's background as a French horn player and orchestrator shows in every measure of Interplay. The piece demands genuine musicianship from your ensemble while remaining accessible at Grade 3, and the shifting tonalities between major and minor keep both performers and listeners engaged throughout. This works beautifully on concert or festival programs because it showcases student growth without overselling the difficulty.

Interplay crackles with momentum and color. The ostinato creates forward motion while the upper voices weave around it in constantly shifting patterns, and the interplay between major and minor tonalities adds a layer of harmonic surprise that keeps the ear engaged. It feels contemporary without being abstract, energetic without being chaotic.

String orchestras at the Grade 3 level who are ready for music that combines rhythmic sophistication with harmonic interest. This work suits ensembles that have solid intonation and can track independent melodic lines while listening to the whole.

• Establish the cello and bass ostinato as the harmonic foundation before layering in the melodic material. Give your lower strings ownership of that ground, and the upper voices will sit more naturally above it.
• Mark the tonal shifts from major to minor in your score and parts ahead of rehearsal. Helping students hear and anticipate these changes prevents the piece from feeling like abrupt key shifts.
• Balance the counterpoint by checking that no single line dominates unintentionally. Interplay succeeds when the interaction between voices sounds deliberate, not accidental.
• Use the full 3 minutes 30 seconds to shape the energy arc. Avoid rushing through sections with dense rhythmic activity; clarity serves the piece better than speed.

Position this piece as a centerpiece on a concert or festival program where you want to showcase your orchestra's technical and musical development. Its 3-minute-30-second duration and Grade 3 accessibility make it ideal for a mixed program alongside both lighter fare and more ambitious contemporary works.

• Balance between ostinato and counterpoint
• Reading and executing tonal shifts between major and minor
• Tracking independent melodic lines while maintaining ensemble cohesion
• Rhythmic precision in complex figurations
• Listening and adjusting intonation across changing harmonic contexts