Intrada Festiva: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Story has written a piece that solves a real programming problem: finding an opener or closer that energizes both your band and the audience without requiring advanced technical facility. The way he layers joyous melodies across multiple voices gives every section memorable material to play, while the rhythmic drive and subtle meter shifts keep the piece from feeling obvious or predictable.

A celebration that builds in momentum and color without losing warmth. The piece radiates joy through its open, singing melodies and bright orchestration, while rhythmic layers and meter shifts prevent it from ever feeling static. It feels like a piece written by someone who understands what a full band can do and what audiences want to experience.

Conductors looking for a Grade 3 original that works equally well as a concert opener or finale, with enough sophistication to reward engaged rehearsal but no unnecessary technical barriers. High school and community bands with solid fundamentals and a desire to play music with genuine character.

• Bring out the primary melody in whichever section carries it at any given moment; the score distributes these lines across woodwinds, brass, and even middle voices, so clarity here will make the piece sparkle.
• Prepare the band to hear and respond to the accent shifts that punctuate the celebratory character; mark these clearly in sectional rehearsals so they land as intentional musical events rather than notational details.
• Let the mixed meter work naturally through steady conducting and ensemble listening; once the band trusts the pulse, the metric variety adds rhythmic interest without confusion.
• Balance the myriad textures by checking that harmonic layers support rather than obscure the primary line; the orchestration is transparent by design.

Open a concert with this to establish energy and confidence, or close one with it to leave the audience feeling uplifted. It also works well as a standalone contest or festival selection where you want to demonstrate solid musicianship and audience connection without choosing something overly serious or introspective.

• Reading mixed meters (shifts between standard divisions and accent patterns)
• Balance and blend across multiple melodic lines distributed across different choirs
• Rhythmic precision in the context of layered textures and syncopation
• Responding to gesture and conducting for nuanced musical shaping
• Building sustained musical energy across a longer form