New Dawn: Score
By Roland Barrett
Grade: 4
Item: 98-DB1273S
$14.00
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Description
This powerful work by Roland Barrett chronicles the story of the Enola Gay, the aircraft whose name will forever be etched in history as the deliverer of the world's first atomic bomb. Using a massive battery of percussion, New Dawn features easy but effective special sound effects and inventive percussion writing. There are plenty of moments of tension and impact that alternate with passages of serenity and contemplation. An emotional and energetic work that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
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Additional Details
Series:
FJH Concert Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-DB1273S
More about this title
About the Composer: Roland Barrett
Roland Barrett has shaped the next generation of musicians as a music theory and composition faculty member at the University of Oklahoma since 2001, following fifteen years as Assistant Director of Bands. His scholarly focus centers on twentieth-century music, where he teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in theory and composition. He maintains hands-on involvement with the Pride of Oklahoma marching band as its arranger.
Barrett's compositional output spans over two hundred published works for symphonic band, chamber ensembles, and marching configurations. His pieces have been championed by the Dallas Wind Symphony and countless All-State and All-Region honor bands, with performances broadcast on NPR and featured at major national conventions. A multiple ASCAPlus award recipient, Barrett's work demonstrates a command of modern idiom paired with practical understanding of what musicians at every level can achieve.
Why we love this
New Dawn doesn't shy away from serious subject matter, yet Barrett crafts the narrative in ways that engage rather than overwhelm young musicians. The percussion writing is genuinely inventive without becoming fussy, and the alternation between intense passages and reflective moments gives your band real dramatic stakes. This is the kind of programmatic work that makes students understand why they're learning their instruments.
What to expect
New Dawn unfolds with the gravity of a historical documentary, building tension through layered orchestration and strategic silence. The percussion battery creates visceral moments of impact that contrast sharply with passages of genuine quiet reflection, holding listeners in genuine uncertainty about what comes next.
Who it's for
Grade 4 concert bands ready to tackle meaningful contemporary music with historical weight. This works for strong scholastic programs and festival presentations where the audience brings maturity to the subject matter.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the massive percussion section carefully; the special effects should punctuate the larger arc rather than dominate individual moments.
- Shape the passages of serenity deliberately. Young musicians often rush through softer material, so lock in the pacing during early rehearsals.
- Invest time in the recorded accompaniment during sectional rehearsals. It helps players internalize where their writing sits within the broader soundscape.
- Mark the tension peaks clearly in your score. This piece works when the audience feels the emotional buildup, which requires precise ensemble control at those moments.
How to use it
This functions beautifully as a closing piece on a concert exploring twentieth-century American composition, or as the centerpiece of a program built around historically informed works. The emotional intensity and the subject matter demand a thoughtful place in your season, ideally paired with repertoire that provides breathing room either before or after.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and performing complex percussion effects notation
- Sustaining ensemble focus across long passages of tension and release
- Interpreting modern compositional techniques with historical context
- Balancing a large percussion section within the full band texture
- Responding to programmatic intent through dynamic and timbral choices