Oh, When the Saints: Flute Quintet Score & Parts

Spirited and celebratory, with the bright, buoyant character of a New Orleans street procession. The arrangement bounces along with infectious swing rhythm, and the way the melody passes among all five voices creates a friendly, conversational quality that makes listeners want to move.

Flute choirs and woodwind ensembles at the middle to advanced high school level, as well as college non-major programs and adult amateur quintets. This works especially well for groups looking to expand beyond classical European repertoire while maintaining solid technical demands.

• Establish the swing feel early in rehearsal by having the ensemble listen to a traditional dixieland recording of the tune; the rhythmic lilt is essential to the arrangement's character.
• Balance the melody across all five parts rather than allowing any single voice to dominate; since each flute rotates through different jazz roles, ensemble tone control becomes your primary tool.
• Articulate consistently within the ensemble, particularly during the march sections; crisp tonguing in unison passages keeps the brightness and forward motion intact.
• Shape phrases with the flexibility of live jazz interpretation, allowing rubato within measures where the arrangement supports it, especially during melody trading sections.

Program this on a pops concert, a jazz-themed chamber event, or a spring concert that celebrates American vernacular music. It pairs well with other swing or traditional jazz arrangements and offers a fun contrast to contemporary classical flute writing.

• Playing in swing feel with proper eighth-note lilt
• Balancing ensemble tone across five identical instruments
• Trading melody lines and maintaining musical continuity through role changes
• Articulation consistency in march-style rhythmic figures
• Interpreting jazz phrasing within a notated score