Southern Belles: Conductor Score & Parts

Nostalgic and warm in the first half, then playful and bouncy in the second. 'Aura Lee' settles into your ensemble like a familiar song from a music box, while 'O Susanna' brings a light, almost comic-opera energy that audiences recognize instantly.

Middle school woodwind choirs and beginning high school ensembles working with limited instrumentation. Directors who need accessible arrangements that don't sacrifice musicality or sound quality, and programs with flexible instrumentation that might gain oboe or saxophone players partway through the year.

• Nail the stylistic shift between sections. The 'Aura Lee' movement asks for sustained legato lines with gentle phrase shapes; resist the temptation to rush. When you hit 'O Susanna,' the staccato articulation completely changes the mood, so mark those contrast points in rehearsal early.
• Balance the optional color parts carefully. If you have oboe, bassoon, or tenor sax players available, integrate them gradually in sectionals so the core woodwind sound doesn't disappear under the added texture.
• Don't let the Grade 2 difficulty fool you into underestimating the musicality required. The lyrical opening demands real breath control and phrase awareness from your flutes and clarinets.

This works beautifully as a pops concert opener or closer, especially if you're programming around American folk traditions or 1950s popular music. The two-song structure also makes it a solid choice for short concert sets where you need variety without switching ensembles.

• Legato phrasing and breath management across phrases
• Stylistic contrast between lyrical and staccato articulation
• Balancing melody and harmony within a limited instrumentation
• Reading from a conductor score while tracking ensemble parts