Lullaby From A Distant Star: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Richard L. Saucedo
Grade: 3
Item: 35-PK00179642
$65.00
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Description
The lush harmonies in this lyrical and emotional piece will provide your students with a wonderful learning tool to improve listening skills, while at the same time providing a spellbinding effect for the listener. Featuring a blend of soft textures, full ensemble peaks, a brief solo flute cadenza, and a sensitive orchestration throughout, the music effectively alludes to far off places. Dur: 3:50
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00179642
More about this title
About the Composer: Richard L. Saucedo
Richard L. Saucedo shaped Indiana's band program landscape through three decades as Director of Bands and Performing Arts Chair at Carmel High School, retiring in 2013. His ensembles earned consistent recognition at state, regional, and national levels, with the Wind Symphony I appearing at the Music for All National Festival three times and claiming the Indiana State Championship title. The Carmel Marching Greyhounds achieved national prominence by placing in the top ten at the Bands of America Grand Nationals for 17 consecutive years and capturing BOA national titles in 2005 and 2012, with the singular achievement of winning a national championship while performing at the Midwest Clinic in the same year.
Beyond his tenure at Carmel, Saucedo has maintained an active career as a freelance composer and arranger for concert bands, marching bands, choral ensembles, and orchestras. He held the position of Brass Arranger and Composer for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, contributing to five DCI world championships, and currently serves as music ensemble coordinator for the Blue Devils. His professional standing includes induction into the Music for All Hall of Fame (2015) and Drum Corps International Hall of Fame (2022), recognition as Indiana's Bandmaster of the Year (1998-99), and membership in the American Bandmasters Association.
Why we love this
Saucedo writes with genuine sensitivity to the concert band medium, crafting moments of transparency that demand ensemble listening skills while avoiding the trap of oversimplification. The brief flute cadenza creates a natural focal point for sectional work, and the orchestration builds organically from delicate textures to fuller sonorities, making this accessible enough for a Grade 3 ensemble yet musically substantive enough to reward careful preparation.
What to expect
The music unfolds like gazing at a distant landscape at twilight; soft instrumental colors emerge from darkness, swell briefly with warmth and light, then recede into quieter reflection. There is something inherently calming yet emotionally engaged about the harmonic language, inviting players and listeners alike into a world removed from the ordinary.
Who it's for
Grade 3 concert bands preparing festival or contest programs who want to include genuinely beautiful music without inflating difficulty levels. Directors seeking a piece that develops sensitive listening and blend while still offering the full ensemble moments necessary for balance and confidence building.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the sustained chords beneath the flute cadenza by having woodwinds and horns listen intently to the soloist; resist the urge to creep forward dynamically.
- Shape the lush harmonic progressions by isolating each voice part in sectionals, then gradually layering them back together to clarify which instrument carries the primary line at each moment.
- Mark the full ensemble peaks as landmarks during rehearsal so students recognize the architecture of the piece; this prevents them from treating all forte passages as identical.
- Conduct the flowing melody with legit, connected gestures rather than punctuated attacks, which helps young musicians internalize the piece's lyrical character.
How to use it
Position this as the emotional centerpiece of a concert, especially in programs that otherwise emphasize rhythmic vitality or technical display. Pair it with a spirited opening number and a confident closer to create a well-shaped arc that demonstrates your ensemble's range and artistry.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing sustained harmonies across multiple sections
- Listening to other voices while maintaining individual part integrity
- Playing with consistent tone quality in the soft dynamic range
- Executing smooth melodic phrasing across extended phrases
- Managing the transition from delicate textures to fuller ensemble sound
- Supporting a solo line (flute cadenza) with responsive accompaniment