Patriotic Favorites Instrumental Solos: Viola Book & Online Audio/Software/PDFs

Galliford and Neuburg have resisted the urge to over-arrange these melodies. Each setting respects the song's essential character while giving viola players enough substance to feel engaged. The range of styles here, from the contemplative opening of Amazing Grace to the brassiness of The Stars and Stripes Forever, means your ensemble can program with real variety while staying anchored in material that's genuinely rewarding to play.

There's patriotism here without sentiment overriding musicianship. Some pieces lift with the earnest dignity of a military march; others settle into the quiet reverence of a hymn. Playing through this collection feels like tracing the emotional and cultural spine of American music.

Viola students at the late intermediate level who are developing confidence with solo performance and ensemble awareness. This book serves teachers building a diverse concert program or preparing students for contest and recital settings.

• Study the demo track first to hear how the melody sits within the fuller arrangement; this will help you understand the harmonic context and where your line breathes.
• Balance sustained notes in pieces like Eternal Father with the rhythmic drive of marches like Semper Fidelis by adjusting your vibrato width accordingly.
• In the Armed Forces Medley, mark the transitions between sections clearly so ensemble entries land together, especially where tempos shift.
• Record yourself playing along with the accompaniment track to catch rhythmic drift, which often appears in slower patriotic hymns where rests feel longer than they are.

String soloists can be featured across a full concert, rotating through these titles during rehearsals leading to spring performances. Alternatively, the Armed Forces Medley and patriotic selections lend themselves naturally to holiday concerts or Veterans Day programming.

• Phrasing longer melodic lines across multiple measures
• Adjusting tone production between lyrical hymns and march contexts
• Rhythmic precision when playing against recorded accompaniment
• Stylistic awareness across military, folk, and spiritual musical traditions
• Coordinating entries and transitions in medley-style arrangements