Myths and Legends: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Grice balances serious musical storytelling with realistic Grade 3 scoring, giving your ensemble genuine stakes without impossible demands. The percussion writing is genuinely inventive, offering your section players real musicianship opportunities rather than token parts. Most importantly, the piece actually delivers on its dramatic arc, so you'll feel the time investment in rehearsal translate directly to audience impact.

The piece unfolds like a journey through different worlds, beginning almost suspended in air before plunging into something ancient and rhythmically alive. The middle section opens into warmth and lyricism, letting your ensemble breathe and shine, before building into a powerful and inevitable conclusion.

Grade 3 concert bands looking for a substantial showpiece that doesn't require advanced technical facility. Directors seeking a work with genuine percussive engagement will find this particularly valuable, as will programs needing to demonstrate stylistic range at a competitive level.

• Define the contrasting characters between the ethereal opening and the medieval 6/8 section through tempo and articulation. This shift should feel intentional, not abrupt.
• Balance the lush lyrical section carefully. Resist the urge to swell everything; let the ensemble's blend do the work, with individual voices emerging naturally.
• Give your percussion section early independence in rehearsal. They're driving the narrative through several structural moments, so they need ownership of their rhythmic clarity.
• Shape the build into the dramatic conclusion with gradual dynamic layering rather than a single aggressive jump. Let the energy mount phrase by phrase.

This works exceptionally well as a festival or contest centerpiece, where the dramatic arc and extended length give judges a complete picture of your ensemble's capabilities. It also pairs naturally with lighter openers or more intimate chamber works, providing the substantial anchor most programs need on a concert.

• Playing across contrasting musical characters (ethereal quality, medieval rhythmic style, lyricism, dramatic intensity)
• Sustaining tone and blend through extended lyrical passages
• Rhythmic precision in 6/8 meter with clean articulation
• Dynamic shaping and understanding phrase architecture
• Ensemble coordination with independent percussion writing