Moondust (American Sketches No. 6): Full Orchestra, Full Score

Moondust moves between nocturnal reverie and orchestral vitality. The familiar tunes feel both intimate and grand, as though Lewis is inviting the listener into a late-night listening session that gradually swells into something more cinematic. There's sophistication in the arranging, but warmth in the melodies.

Conductors seeking Grade 4 repertoire that respects the orchestral idiom while drawing on recognizable material. This works equally well for advanced high school orchestras, college ensembles, and community orchestras that want something ambitious but grounded in accessible melodies.

• Balance the solo lines carefully through the woodwind and brass sections. These tunes carry melodic weight across multiple instruments, so transparency in the section voicings will make the familiar melodies shine.
• Pay attention to style shifts between the three standards. Each tune brings its own harmonic language and rhythmic character, so marking your score with style indicators (swing feel vs. straight eighth notes, for example) helps your ensemble lock into the transitions.
• The percussion parts drive the overall shape. Work those cues early so timpani and percussion know exactly when they're coloring versus anchoring the harmony.

This sits naturally in a concert that mixes classical standards with American light classical or pops repertoire. Use it as the closer to a spring concert, or pair it with other Kalmus Symphonic Pops selections to build a thematic program around American music. The Grade 4 difficulty makes it accessible enough to feature as a showcase piece mid-season without overshadowing your more challenging repertoire.

• Balancing solo lines and accompanying figures across a full orchestra
• Style shifting and harmonic awareness in standards-based arranging
• Reading and executing syncopated rhythmic figures in mixed meters
• Sectional blend and intonation in sustained harmonic progressions