Nonantum Bulgar: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Hankus Netsky
Grade: 3
Item: 35-PK00444413
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Description
Adding to the minuscule number of Klezmer pieces for concert band, Nonantum Bulgar is the 20th piece published in the BandQuest series. The title, Nonantum Bulgar, refers to Nonantum, a district in Newton which is home to the city's oldest synagogue (on the National Register of Historic Places), and bulgar (pronounced 'bull-ghar'), a type of Klezmer dance. When writing the piece, the composer imagined the dedication of the Adams St. Shul, which took place over one hundred years ago and featured a prominent Boston cantor and choir and a klezmer orchestra leading a "Grand March" down Adams St. This upbeat work is fun to play, features a trumpet solo, and gives every instrument the opportunity to play the melody.
Learn more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ComposersForum/search?query=hankus+netsky
BandQuest, an exciting series of new music and accompanying curricula for band, is a program published by the American Composers Forum. The series was started as a response to feedback from music educators that there is a pressing need for new, fresh band music. The heart of this program is new works written by a diverse group of leading American composers who have created challenging pieces that are a true departure from standard middle school repertoire. Every BandQuest project includes a residency component in which the composer works collaboratively with a middle school as they create their new piece. Many BandQuest pieces are accompanied by an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to assist students as they learn the music and to integrate each piece with non-music studies. Visit www.bandquest.org to learn more about this innovative series, and email bandquest@composersforum.org to request a free downloadable audio catalog.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00444413
More about this title
About the Composer: Hankus Netsky
Hankus Netsky is a composer and ethnomusicologist whose work draws deeply from the traditions of Eastern European Jewish music. He has devoted his career to preserving and reimagining klezmer music for contemporary audiences, bringing scholarly rigor and genuine musical feeling to his compositions.
Netsky's approach to composition honors the source material while creating fresh opportunities for modern ensembles. His work with the American Composers Forum and BandQuest demonstrates his commitment to placing meaningful new music directly into the hands of student musicians.
Why we love this
Klezmer works for concert band are genuinely rare, which alone makes this valuable. But Netsky has crafted something that feels authentic to its cultural roots while remaining joyfully playable at grade 3. The piece distributes melodic material across your entire section, ensuring everyone gets something memorable to perform rather than a few players carrying the load.
What to expect
Warm, celebratory, and full of community. The bulgar rhythm propels forward with infectious energy while the melodies carry a minor-key tenderness that feels both joyful and reflective. You can almost hear the historic procession down Adams Street a century ago.
Who it's for
Middle school and early high school concert bands looking to expand beyond standard repertoire. Directors seeking pieces that connect to cultural history and engage students in musical traditions beyond Western classical concert band canon.
How to get the most out of it
- Highlight the trumpet solo as its own moment; resist rushing into it. The solo should breathe with the character of a featured cantor, not sound like a technical display.
- Emphasize the rhythmic swing and lilting quality of the bulgar form. This is dance music, so the ensemble pulse should feel alive and propulsive without forcing tempo.
- Balance the klezmer inflections (slides, ornamentation, articulation) across sections so the style feels cohesive rather than isolated to one group.
- Use the recorded accompaniment to lock ensemble tuning and phrasing before separating into independent parts.
How to use it
Pair this with other culturally rooted concert band works to build a thematic concert around American musical diversity. It works equally well as a closer that sends audiences out uplifted or as a centerpiece that demonstrates your ensemble's stylistic range. The piece also opens doors for interdisciplinary classroom connections around Boston Jewish history.
Skills your students will build
- Performing with klezmer stylistic inflections (slides, articulation, ornamentation)
- Reading and executing bulgar rhythm patterns
- Balancing ensemble sound across distributed melody lines
- Accompanying and supporting a featured soloist
- Maintaining pulse and forward motion in dance forms