New Orleans Jubilee: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Ployhar captures the infectious energy of New Orleans without overwhelming young players. By pairing two beloved spirituals, he creates a piece that feels complete and purposeful rather than like a medley, giving your band immediate ownership of something genuinely joyful to perform.

Warmth, celebration, and a little bit of swagger. The melodies are familiar enough to feel welcoming, but the New Orleans arrangement style gives them a rhythmic bounce and harmonic color that lifts them beyond the hymnal. It's the sound of a parade you actually want to join.

Beginning bands ready to play something with real character and cultural depth. Grade 1 instrumentation means no players are sidelined, and every section gets moments that matter.

• Establish a steady, relaxed pulse in the lower reeds and brass before rehearsal begins; New Orleans style lives in the groove, not the clock.
• Balance the ensemble so soloists or featured sections (often the upper woodwinds in traditional arrangements) can sing through without the full band drowning them out.
• Let articulation breathe naturally; tonguing in this style tends toward a lighter touch than classical articulation, which gives the sound its characteristic swing.

Perfect for a fall concert that needs something uplifting without being cartoonish, or as an opener that settles an audience into a joyful mood. It also works beautifully in a program exploring American roots music or sacred traditions across different cultures.

• Playing with relaxed rhythmic swing and groove-based phrasing
• Balancing ensemble sound across contrasting musical sections
• Understanding cultural and historical context of American spirituals
• Executing light, natural articulation in jazz and blues-influenced styles