March of the Shadows: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$55.00 USD

March of the Shadows: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: March of the Shadows: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-ST6257
Price: 55.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 2

Item: 98-ST6257

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Dark, sinister and fun - these words describe this wonderfully inventive piece that paints a picture of shadows marching in unison through hallways, dark corners, and anywhere else the imagination would like to go. Designed to introduce students to Eb and Bb in a simple setting, the work makes wonderful use of mild dissonance as the shadows come to life. Clever!

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, March of the Shadows: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: FJH Developing Strings

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 674398228928

SKU: 98-ST6257

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages has built a career as a composer and conductor working fluidly across orchestral, band, and chamber music. His compositions have reached stages including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House, performed by ensembles ranging from professional orchestras to school groups. He holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association and received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association.

Balmages' work has extended into the public sphere, performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service and commissioned by the University of Miami for its presidential inauguration. As a guest conductor, he appears regularly at all-state festivals, university ensembles, and international conferences. He currently directs publications and digital education initiatives for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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Why we love this

This piece delivers real entertainment value while accomplishing genuine pedagogical work. The minor-key atmosphere and programmatic storytelling keep students engaged, and Balmages constructs the part writing so that introducing Eb and Bb feels organic rather than like a technical exercise. The mild dissonance works as both a compositional device and a teachable moment about how harmonic color serves narrative.

What to expect

Shadows moving with purpose through familiar spaces. There's a mischievous quality beneath the surface darkness, as though the piece is inviting you to find humor in what should be scary. The mild dissonance creates unease without sounding harsh, and the unison marching gives the whole thing a sense of unified motion.

Who it's for

String orchestras at the Grade 2 level who are ready to expand their harmonic vocabulary and tackle key signatures beyond the basics. This works equally well for groups preparing festival material or programming a concert that needs something with personality and narrative texture.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the opening with restraint. Let the shadows emerge gradually rather than announcing themselves; dynamic control here sets the mood for everything that follows.
Balance the parts carefully so that moving lines stay distinct from sustained backgrounds. Younger players often lose track of their role once dissonance enters.
Mark the new key signatures clearly in rehearsal and have students finger them on their instruments before playing through sections. This builds confidence and reduces performance anxiety.
Lean into the character work. Ask your strings what "sinister but fun" actually sounds like in their instruments. The intentionality makes the piece feel less like an exercise and more like a real story.

How to use it

Consider programming this early in a concert to set a distinctive tone, or pair it with lighter pieces to create contrast. It works beautifully as a contest selection because it demonstrates both technical growth and interpretive maturity at Grade 2 level.