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Of Distant Peaks: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$48.00 USD
$48.00 USD
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Of Distant Peaks Cover Image
Of Distant Peaks: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Of Distant Peaks: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

By Robert Sheldon

Grade: 1.5 (Easy)

Item: 00-37788
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Description
An ancient mountain poem by Li Bai (701--762) served as the inspiration for this piece, written in memory of Daniel Stritchko, a young tenor saxophone player from Longmont, Colorado. The front range of the Rocky Mountains serves as the dramatic backdrop to Longmont, providing the impetus for the grandeur and spirit of this composition. (2:30) Correlates Sound Innovations for Concert Band, Book 2 Level 2.

"This bold new work will program well in a number of circumstances."
-John Thomson, The Instrumentalist This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Of Distant Peaks: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Additional Details
Series: Sound Innovations for Concert Band
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 148
UPC: 038081438368
SKU: 00-37788

More about this title

About the Composer: Robert Sheldon

Robert Sheldon

Robert Sheldon's wind band compositions appear on festival and concert programs worldwide, establishing him as a defining voice in contemporary band repertoire. His work as lead author of Sound Innovations for Concert Band has shaped how thousands of young musicians develop their craft, and his commissions from school and professional ensembles continue to expand the quality of accessible concert band literature.

Sheldon's recognition extends across the profession, including honors from the American School Band Directors Association, Phi Beta Mu, and ASCAP. He maintains an active schedule as guest conductor for All-State and Regional Honor Bands, clinician at state conferences and universities, and international ambassador for American wind band music. His works have been performed at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall Boston, Orchestra Hall Chicago, the Sydney Opera House, and the Kennedy Center.

Why we love this

Sheldon crafts this memorial to a young musician with genuine restraint and lyricism rather than bombast. The programmatic inspiration from Li Bai's mountain poetry and the Rocky Mountain backdrop gives the piece architectural coherence that sustains interest across its two and a half minutes, making it memorable without being overwrought. At grade 1.5, it offers the kind of rewarding musical substance that elevates a concert or festival program.

What to expect

The piece evokes vast, quiet landscape before building toward a sense of majesty and reverence. There's a meditative quality to its opening that gradually expands, shaped by the dramatic context of mountain peaks and the memory it honors.

Who it's for

Conductors programming grade 1.5 concert bands who want music that earns its place on a festival program through genuine compositional craft rather than simplification. This work suits ensembles that have developed basic facility with their instruments and are ready for sustained melodic and harmonic content.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the melodic material between sections to honor the piece's contemplative foundation. Sheldon writes for the full band, but the lyrical content requires transparency rather than weight.
  • Shape the climaxes through gradual dynamic buildup and voicing clarity. Resist the urge to force volume; let the orchestration itself create grandeur.
  • Use the opening sections to establish the serene mountain imagery before the work's arc develops. This contrast makes later dramatic moments land with impact.

How to use it

This work functions well as a centerpiece in a concert that balances lighter and more substantial repertoire, or as a meaningful opening that sets a reflective tone. At the easy end of grade 1.5, it can also serve effectively in festival settings where programming variety matters.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustaining lyrical phrasing across longer melodic lines
  • Maintaining balance and transparency when multiple sections carry simultaneous material
  • Responding to programmatic context to shape interpretation and dynamics
  • Building climactic intensity through orchestration rather than force alone

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