Sahara: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$40.00 USD

Sahara: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Sahara: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1257
Price: 40.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Roland Barrett

Grade: 1

Item: 98-B1257

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Take a trip across the desert with this new work from composer Roland Barrett. A mysterious introduction sets the mood for an interesting and highly educational aleatoric passage. Easily achieved, students freely improvise on a given set of pitches. As more and more instruments enter, the piece builds until it gives way to a rhythmically energized section beginning with percussion and an ostinato figure in the bass voices. Very easy!

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Series: FJH Beginning Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 674398217373

SKU: 98-B1257

More about this title

About the Composer: Roland Barrett

Roland Barrett has shaped multiple generations of student musicians through his dual roles as composer and educator. Since 2001, he has been a faculty member at the University of Oklahoma, where he teaches theory and composition at both undergraduate and graduate levels, with particular emphasis on 20th-century music. His arranging work extends to the Pride of Oklahoma marching band, where he serves as musical arranger.

With over two hundred published works for symphonic and concert bands, chamber ensembles, and marching groups, Barrett has established himself as a nationally recognized voice in wind music. His compositions have been performed by the Dallas Wind Symphony, All-State and All-Region honor bands across the country, and featured on NPR and national conventions including the Midwest Band & Orchestra Convention. He is a multiple ASCAPlus award recipient and brings both pedagogical insight and professional compositional experience to every piece he writes.

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Why we love this

Sahara balances genuine musical substance with complete accessibility for Grade 1 ensembles. The aleatoric section gives students a meaningful window into contemporary compositional techniques without requiring advanced reading or technical facility, while the rhythmically driven second half reminds them why they love playing together. It's the kind of piece that works equally well in a festival setting or a standard concert, and it genuinely teaches something new.

What to expect

The piece opens with mystery and atmospheric uncertainty, inviting listeners into a sonic desert landscape. As instruments gradually enter and improvise, the ensemble discovers its own collective sound before shifting into a propulsive, percussion-driven section that feels earned and energizing.

Who it's for

Grade 1 concert bands ready to explore contemporary techniques in an accessible framework. This is ideal for ensembles that want to program something musically mature yet entirely playable, and for directors seeking to introduce aleatoric writing without the complexity of more advanced works.

How to get the most out of it

Prepare the aleatoric section by having students practice their assigned pitch set individually first. Confidence with their material will free them to listen and respond to other voices entering around them.
Shape the transition into the rhythmic section deliberately. The shift from freely improvised material to a strict pulse needs to feel intentional, not accidental.
Balance the ostinato figure in the bass voices so it anchors the texture without overwhelming the material developing above it.

How to use it

Pair this with more traditional Grade 1 repertoire to show students the full spectrum of contemporary band writing. Its contest and festival designation makes it a strong choice for early-season events where you want to challenge your ensemble without overwhelming it.

Skills your students will build

Improvising within a defined pitch set
Listening and responding to other musicians while maintaining individual independence
Transitioning between freely-timed and metrically-strict musical material
Balancing part weight in ensemble texture
Building rhythmic precision in ostinato figures