Short and Sweet: Concert Band Conductor Score

Bright, energetic, and playful, with the two cornets trading rapid figures that sparkle over the band's support. The writing captures the showmanship and virtuosity of early 20th-century brass writing, full of rhythmic snap and melodic charm.

Concert bands at the intermediate level looking for a piece that showcases cornet soloists without requiring extreme technical demands from the rest of the ensemble. Directors who want authentic turn-of-the-century character and style will appreciate the period detail Marlatt brings to this arrangement.

• Mark the triple-tonguing passages clearly in rehearsal and have both cornet players practice these rhythms separately at a slow tempo before bringing them together. Precision here is everything.
• Balance the two cornet soloists against the ensemble so that neither melody disappears into the full band. The fast-finger work deserves to shine.
• Anchor the tempo with the underlying harmonic support so that the soloists have a stable foundation for their rapid figurations.

Use this as a feature piece for your cornet section in a concert celebrating brass tradition or early 20th-century American music. It works equally well as a concert opener that sets an energetic tone or as a mid-program break that brings the audience back to attention.

• Triple-tonguing articulation and rapid single-note repetition
• Balancing and blending as a duet within a full ensemble texture
• Reading a conductor score and responding to conducting gestures
• Managing fast fingerwork and maintaining rhythmic precision at tempo
• Understanding turn-of-the-century brass idioms and performance style