Jackson Lake Overture: 2nd F Horn
By Mark Williams
Grade: 3 (Medium)
Item: 00-PC-0001906_H2
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Description
This outstanding work was the winner of the Western International Band Clinic Gralia Award. It kicks-off with a strong, heroic Maestoso fanfare which leads to a rhythmic Allegro. The syncopated main theme is later transformed into a flowing 3/4 Moderato in the Lydian mode. (Grade 3)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Jackson Lake Overture: 2nd F Horn comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Growing Band Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
268
SKU:
00-PC-0001906_H2
More about this title
About the Composer: Mark Williams
Mark Williams built his career on understanding what school bands need to sound and feel good. With over 200 published compositions for band, orchestra, and choir, he became one of the most performed composers in American music education. His co-authorship of the Accent on Achievement Band Method shaped how generations of students learned their instruments.
Williams spent decades in Washington schools, where he specialized in elementary band and developed a deep knowledge of what intermediate musicians could accomplish. He earned the Western International Band Clinic's Gralia Competition award and multiple ASCAP Special Awards. Beyond the page, he was an active clinician and guest conductor across 34 states, five Canadian provinces, and Australia, while maintaining his own performing career as a bassoon player and conductor of the Spokane British Brass Band.
Why we love this
Jackson Lake Overture gives Grade 3 bands a concert opener with genuine architectural weight. The progression from a heroic Maestoso fanfare through a syncopated rhythmic Allegro and into a lyrical Lydian Moderato in 3/4 teaches ensemble musicians how movements connect and develop across a full arc, without overwhelming them. It's the kind of win-the-audience-in-the-first-thirty-seconds piece that builds band culture.
What to expect
Jackson Lake Overture opens like a fanfare proclaiming arrival, then shifts into a forward-driving rhythmic energy that refuses to settle. When the piece pivots into the flowing Moderato in Lydian mode, the mood becomes reflective and almost pastoral, as if the heroic gesture has led somewhere quieter and more contemplative.
Who it's for
Concert bands at the Grade 3 level will find a work that challenges their musicianship without demanding virtuosity. Directors can program this for festival or contest settings, or simply as a high-impact concert opener that shows off ensemble growth across a single, cohesive piece.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the opening Maestoso fanfare with dynamic clarity and a unified front; this is your band's calling card, so lock the brass section and ensure balanced sonority across all parts.
- Isolate the syncopated rhythmic figures in the Allegro section during early rehearsals; have the rhythm section anchor these patterns while melodic voices find their entrances above them.
- Prepare for the meter and modal shift into 3/4 Moderato by conducting it in a separate rehearsal passage so the transition feels natural and the Lydian color emerges without rhythmic stumbling.
- Balance the flowing melodic line in the 3/4 section against the harmonic backdrop; this is where the piece breathes, so resist rushing and allow the Lydian mode to create its own tonal landscape.
How to use it
Open a concert with this work to establish your band's capabilities and set a sophisticated tone from measure one. Its award-winning pedigree and clear structural arc make it ideal for festival entries or adjudicated events, and it pairs well on the same program with lighter character pieces or marches that benefit from being heard after this kind of ambitious opener.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing lyrical phrasing in modal harmony (Lydian mode in 3/4)
- Executing syncopated rhythmic figures with ensemble precision
- Transitioning between contrasting tempos and meters with musical coherence
- Sustaining dynamic control through a multi-section work that alternates between heroic and flowing textures
- Reading and responding to conductor cues across fanfare, allegro, and moderato sections