Quest of the Knights Templar: Concert Band Conductor Score

Sheldon designed this piece as a showcase for percussion without asking the winds to sacrifice musicality or engagement. A beginning band at Grade 1 rarely gets material this dramatic in scope, and the narrative arc, from mysterious darkness into a full-throttle crusade, keeps students invested from downbeat to final chord. This is the kind of opening number that reminds your ensemble why they play.

The opening settles over you like fog rolling across a medieval landscape, mysterious and heavy. Then the pace quickens, the energy builds, and suddenly you're caught up in the momentum of horsemen and conflict, propelled forward by rhythm and drama until the final statement lands with satisfying weight.

Beginning concert bands that are ready to stretch beyond simple march-and-carol repertoire. This works beautifully for Grade 1 ensembles with solid fundamentals and the drive to tackle something with real narrative weight.

• Build the darkness of the opening by asking your winds to focus on tone quality over volume; let the accompaniment create atmosphere rather than assault the audience.
• Give your percussion section explicit ownership of the battle sequence. They're not supporting the melodic line here; the winds are supporting them. Rehearse that balance separately.
• Shape the tempo transition carefully. The shift from slow to fast needs breathing room, not a hard cut. A slight ritardando before the allegro tempo pulls the listener along rather than jarring them.

Open a concert with this if you want to establish that your beginning band takes artistry seriously. The piece is ambitious enough for contest or festival consideration, yet accessible enough that you're not stretching students beyond what Grade 1 pedagogy supports. Consider pairing it with lighter or more lyrical selections afterward to create contrast.

• dynamic contrast and shaping across extended phrases
• ensemble balance when featured parts rotate between sections
• rhythmic precision in fast-moving passages
• sustaining tone quality at soft dynamic levels