Leroy Anderson Favorites: Full Orchestra Conductor Score

This medley gives your orchestra four beloved Anderson standards in one coherent package, letting you program serious crowd-pleasers without fragmenting your rehearsal time across multiple pieces. Calvin Custer's arrangement respects the charm and accessibility of each tune while creating smooth transitions that keep energy moving, and at Grade 3.5, the writing sits perfectly for orchestras that need engaging repertoire that doesn't require virtuosic execution.

Warm, sophisticated nostalgia meets infectious rhythm. These four pieces crackle with personality and vintage orchestral color, evoking ballrooms and mid-century leisure while remaining buoyant and contemporary in spirit. The medley structure lets you travel through different moods and tempos without losing the thread of Anderson's unmistakable melodic voice.

Conductors programming concerts that balance musical substance with audience appeal will find this medley indispensable. Community orchestras, school orchestras at the intermediate to advanced levels, and pops ensemble directors seeking reliable, joyful repertoire that plays well with mixed ensembles will get immediate mileage from this arrangement.

• Keep articulations light and bouncy, especially in the pizzicato and staccato passages. Anderson's idiom thrives on rhythmic clarity and character, not weight.
• Balance the melody across sections as it passes around the orchestra. These tunes are meant to shine, so spotlighting the lead voice keeps the medley conversational and engaging.
• Shape the transitions between movements carefully. Mark cues and tempo changes clearly so section leaders know exactly when the character shifts, particularly at the shifts into and out of "The Syncopated Clock."
• Use the recorded accompaniment during early sectional rehearsals to establish the groove and phrasing before bringing the full orchestra together.

Program this as a full pops concert anchor or as a lighter second half item after performing heavier classical or contemporary repertoire. It pairs beautifully with other light concert fare from the same era and works equally well as a season opener that builds goodwill with your audience.

• Executing light articulation and rhythmic precision in a medley format
• Following smooth transitions and tempo changes between distinct melodic sections
• Balancing melody and accompaniment across the full orchestra
• Sustaining character and phrasing in accessible, song-like material