Motion: Concert Band Conductor Score

Name: Motion: Concert Band Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1283S
Price: 22.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 4.5

Item: 98-B1283S

$22.00

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One moment…

Embark on a thrill ride that progresses through different stages of motion. Sections include Perpetual Motion; Locomotion (based on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway stationed in the town that commissioned the work), and Commotion. This final fugal section, based on a minor version of the opening theme, constantly builds and transforms as the work moves toward a fierce conclusion. Captivating!

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Series: FJH Concert Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 241444478356

SKU: 98-B1283S

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages has established himself as a composer and conductor working across orchestral, band, and chamber idioms with equal fluency. His works have reached audiences worldwide, from professional symphony orchestras to elementary school ensembles, performed in spaces ranging from Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center to the Sydney Opera House and beyond. He holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association and received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association. His composition Love and Light won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest, and his music was featured in the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service.

Balmages has received commissions from major institutions, including the University of Miami for its presidential inauguration, and holds alumni recognition from James Madison University. As a guest conductor, he regularly works with all-state and regional ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras throughout North America and internationally. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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Why we love this

Motion captures everything that makes a strong Grade 4.5 concert work: clear sectional architecture, thematic coherence across contrasting material, and a finale that builds momentum without losing musical substance. The fugal section grounds the energy in compositional craft rather than mere textural crescendo, making it as rewarding to teach as it is to hear.

What to expect

Motion propels forward through kinetic energy and dramatic contrast. The opening perpetual motion spins with restless drive, the locomotive section locks into rhythmic momentum tied to place and history, and the fugal finale transforms the initial theme into something more urgent and destabilizing, climaxing in fierce conviction.

Who it's for

Bands working at the Grade 4.5 level who seek repertoire with narrative arc and structural sophistication. This work appeals to groups preparing for contests and festivals where compositional technique and musical maturity carry weight alongside technical execution.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the Perpetual Motion section with consistent forward drive; resist the temptation to rush, since the written tempo carries the energy naturally.
Let the Locomotion section breathe by bringing out the programmatic railway imagery through slight rhythmic buoyancy in the accompaniment figures.
In the Commotion fugal section, maintain clarity of the transformed minor theme through careful balance; the constant rebuilding depends on hearing the melody through textural layers.
Use the final fierce conclusion to bring all three sections into sharp focus, treating the conclusion as a unified statement rather than an arbitrary ending.

How to use it

Program Motion alongside works that explore programmatic elements or structural transformation. Its three-section design makes it effective as a closer or a centerpiece that demonstrates ensemble range across contrasting musical landscapes.