Odysseus And The Sirens: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Dana Wilson
Grade: 4
Item: 35-PK00444406
$10.00
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| Product | Price | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Odysseus And The Sirens - Full Score | $10.00 |
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Description
"The Odyssey" was written by Homer about 2700 years ago and tells of the adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus during his harrowing return trip home after fighting the Trojan Wars. This work is suggestive of his dramatic encounter with the sirens, famous for luring sailors to their death with their beguiling wind-like song. In this descriptive piece you can hear the wind-song becoming evermore insistent, the rocking of the ship, Odysseus' screams, and finally the sirens plunging to their death as they fail in their attempt to lure Odysseus.
Learn more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ComposersForum/search?query=Dana+wilson
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-PK00444406
More about this title
About the Composer: Dana Wilson
Dana Wilson is a composer whose work bridges the gap between contemporary concert music and educational ensembles. His contributions to the BandQuest series reflect a commitment to creating pieces that challenge young musicians while remaining accessible and engaging for developing bands.
Why we love this
Wilson captures the Odyssey's narrative sweep without relying on literal tone painting. The piece unfolds as genuine musical drama: the tension builds organically, the instrumental writing plays to the strengths of Grade 4 ensembles, and the denouement lands with real impact. Your students will feel like they're telling an epic story, not merely playing notes.
What to expect
Ominous and hypnotic at first, the siren song coils around you with mounting urgency. There's genuine drama here: the groaning of the ship, the frantic resistance, and a sudden, chilling silence when the mythological threat vanishes. The journey from enchantment to survival unfolds like a story rather than a concert etude.
Who it's for
Grade 4 concert bands ready to tackle narrative music that demands musical maturity beyond the notes themselves. This piece works particularly well for ensembles with solid fundamentals and enough rehearsal time to develop character and shape across longer phrases.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the wind section's layered textures carefully during the siren song passages. The 'insistent' quality depends on clarity, not volume.
- Mark specific moments in your score where the ensemble should breathe together as a unit. The ship's rocking motion needs rhythmic cohesion across all sections.
- Encourage your brass to shape their melodic lines with purpose during Odysseus' dramatic moments. These aren't accompaniment figures; they carry the emotional weight of the story.
How to use it
Pair this with other narrative or programmatic works to create a concert theme around mythology or storytelling in music. The Grade 4 level makes it ideal for spring concerts where your band has had the full year to develop ensemble maturity. Its dramatic arc also works beautifully as a standalone closer, leaving audiences with something to remember.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining tension across extended musical phrases
- Balancing transparency in layered textures
- Shaping instrumental lines for narrative effect rather than technical display
- Maintaining rhythmic precision during syncopated and asymmetrical passage work
- Responding to conductor gesture for dramatic timing and expression