Invictus: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$95.00 USD

Invictus: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Invictus: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1002
Price: 95.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 5

Item: 98-B1002

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A serious concert or festival piece, Invictus was written in memory of the composer's grandfather and based on a poem of the same title by William Ernest Henley. This extensive, emotional composition will thrill performers and audiences alike with interesting effects and textures. A new musical masterpiece! (9:40)

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Series: FJH Symphonic Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 674398204533

SKU: 98-B1002

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages has established himself as a composer and conductor working fluently across orchestral, band, and chamber music. His works have been performed by ensembles ranging from professional symphony orchestras to school groups in venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Sydney Opera House, and the Toronto Centre for the Arts. He holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association and received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association. His composition Love and Light won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest.

Balmages received the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts and was later commissioned by the University of Miami to compose music for the presidential inauguration of Dr. Julio Frenk. His music was performed as part of the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service attended by President Obama and Vice President Biden. As a guest conductor, he has appeared at the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, College Band Directors Conference, and numerous international festivals and conferences. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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Why we love this

Invictus carries genuine weight as a concert piece. Balmages crafts an extended work that moves beyond typical festival fare by grounding itself in literary meaning and personal memory, giving your ensemble a composition with substance to sink their musicianship into. The orchestration rewards careful attention to balance and phrasing while remaining playable at Grade 5.

What to expect

Invictus unfolds with emotional gravity, moving through interesting harmonic textures and orchestral colors that create a reflective yet ultimately powerful soundscape. The piece balances lyrical moments with fuller, richer sonorities, building toward climactic passages that demand the band's full engagement without becoming bombastic.

Who it's for

This work belongs in the hands of Grade 5 concert bands preparing for festival performances or serious concert programming. Directors seeking a substantive piece that challenges musicianship while remaining accessible to developing ensembles will find Invictus an ideal choice.

How to get the most out of it

Pay close attention to textural shifts and dynamic layering; Balmages builds emotional momentum through how he voices instrumental combinations rather than through purely harmonic movement.
Conduct through the longer formal sections with a clear architectural sense; the 9:40 duration requires the ensemble to understand where they are in the larger emotional arc, not just the next measure.
Invest time in the sonorities Balmages creates at different dynamic levels. A pp marking in this piece carries different weight than a fortissimo; both demand commitment from the full band.

How to use it

Invictus works powerfully as a centerpiece for a concert built around theme or meaning, particularly when paired with works of contrasting character. Its substantial length and emotional depth make it suitable as either a closing piece or as the anchoring work around which lighter selections are built.