Salute to Broadway: Concert Band Conductor Score

Strommen's gift for orchestration shines in how he balances five beloved Broadway standards without letting any single tune overwhelm the ensemble texture. The arrangement respects the melodic integrity of each song while giving your band's full instrumentation genuine things to play, so every section feels invested. At Grade 3, this is accessible enough to program early in the season yet polished enough to open a spring concert with confidence.

Nostalgic warmth meets contemporary energy. These melodies carry the elegance of the Golden Age of Broadway, yet Strommen's orchestration keeps the arrangements buoyant and modern enough that they don't feel like museum pieces. The mix of upbeat dance numbers and tender ballads creates momentum across the eight and a half minutes.

Directors programming a concert that blends popular appeal with musical substance will find this a reliable crowd-pleaser for mixed audiences and fundraisers. Bands at the Grade 3 level gain experience with stylistic variety and text-based storytelling without the technical demands of more complex concert fare.

• Balance the melody line across sections as it passes. These standards rely on the audience recognizing the tune instantly, so clarity of line trumps dynamic uniformity.
• Treat style shifts between numbers as genuine transitions, not abrupt breaks. Each song has its own character; rehearse the connective moments so the medley flows rather than feels stitched together.
• Let the brass breathe on the lyrical passages. Broadway arrangements often benefit from a touch of legit, singing tone rather than a purely concert band sound.

This works beautifully as a first-half closer or pops-style opening that sets a celebratory tone. Consider pairing it with a more serious contemporary work to round out the program, or program it alongside other Americana and standards-based repertoire if you're building a thematic concert.

• Sustaining lyrical phrasing across harmonic changes without losing pulse
• Rapid style adaptation (swing, ballad, march-like tempos within a single piece)
• Balance and blend when the melodic line moves between sections
• Reading and executing articulation changes that reflect Broadway idiom