NORAD Defenders: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Albert O. Davis writes with restraint and imagination. The strategic use of silence creates tension and surprise, while the harmonic choices pull listeners in unexpected directions. For a Grade 3 march, this demands real musicianship from your band and rewards it immediately.

NORAD Defenders marches forward with purpose but surprises you along the way. Pockets of silence create breathing room and anticipation, while the harmonic turns keep the ear engaged. It's energetic without being conventional.

Concert bands at Grade 3 looking to program something with personality and substance. Directors who want their students to encounter compositional thinking beyond standard march conventions will find this rewarding.

• Pay close attention to rests and moments of silence. They're compositional choices, not accidents, and they define the march's personality.
• Approach the harmonic progressions with clarity. Unusual voice leading will stand out if your sections lock in tonally.
• Balance the march character with concert hall refinement. This isn't a stadium march; it's written for the concert stage.

This works well as a concert opener or closer. Its character stands apart from traditional marches, making it an ideal choice if you're programming a set that showcases contemporary concert band writing at the Grade 3 level.

• Responding to compositional use of silence and texture
• Tuning and balancing unusual harmonic progressions
• Maintaining ensemble precision through rhythmic and harmonic shifts
• Articulating march style with nuance and musicality