Metal: Concert Band Conductor Score

Name: Metal: Concert Band Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1501S
Price: 17.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 5

Item: 98-B1501S

$17.00

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One moment…

Inspired by both metallic sounds and heavy metal, this opener or closer is intense in every sense of the word! Aggressive multi-meter passages soon move into dazzling fanfares that play with shifting tonalities before eventually resolving to a brilliant and powerful final chord. Extremely intense and invigorating!

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Series: FJH Symphonic Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 241444500026

SKU: 98-B1501S

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages commands respect across orchestral, band, and chamber music spheres, with performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Sydney Opera House, and the Toronto Centre for the Arts. His accolades include the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association, the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light, and membership in the American Bandmasters Association.

Balmages regularly conducts all-state ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras worldwide, with notable guest appearances at the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, and the College Band Directors Conference. He holds the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award and was commissioned by the University of Miami to compose for the inauguration of the university's sixth president. His work has reached audiences at the highest levels, including performance at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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Why we love this

Balmages writes with structural intelligence: the multi-meter aggression builds genuine tension, then the shift to fanfares with tonal play rewards the listener's investment rather than simply stalling for time. This is a piece that sounds hard because the music demands it, not because it's padded with unnecessary complexity. The payoff of that final chord justifies every challenging passage that precedes it.

What to expect

Raw and unapologetic in its opening, then suddenly glittering and mercurial as harmonies shift beneath soaring fanfares. The piece carries an electric charge throughout; even its moments of relative repose pulse with forward momentum.

Who it's for

Grade 5 bands ready to tackle aggressive writing with rhythmic complexity and tonal sophistication. This works equally well for groups preparing for festival competition or seeking a high-impact concert opener that showcases ensemble maturity.

How to get the most out of it

Establish the aggressive passages with crisp articulation in the woodwinds and clear rhythmic precision from the percussion; the multi-meter sections need to feel inevitable, not confused.
Let the fanfare section breathe despite its dazzle. The shifting tonalities work best when each harmonic shift registers clearly rather than blurring together.
Build the final chord with deliberate control. All the intensity leading up to this moment should feel like it's channeling toward this single release of energy.

How to use it

Open a concert with this to establish immediate energy and command attention in the first thirty seconds. The structural arc from aggression to brilliance also serves effectively as a finale when you want to leave the audience with unresolved intensity rather than settling resolution.