Strike Up the Band!: 1st Percussion: Choral SoundPax
Strike Up the Band!: 1st Percussion Sheet Music Preview

Strike Up the Band!: 1st Percussion: Choral SoundPax

Music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin / arr. Mark Hayes

Item: 00-PC-0014318_PC1
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Description
The fabulous Mark Hayes arrangement is all-American, all the way! Opens with a martial verse, which sets the drums rolling and the trumpets sounding. Concert band-style SoundPax available separately, or use the SoundTrax CD. Hooray!

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Strike Up the Band!: 1st Percussion: Choral SoundPax comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Pop Choral Series
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 64
SKU: 00-PC-0014318_PC1
Instrumentation: SoundPax

More about this title

About the Composer: George Gershwin

George Gershwin (1898-1937) bridged classical and popular music with a distinctly American voice. His piano rhapsodies, orchestral works, and stage music remain cornerstones of the twentieth-century repertoire, performed by orchestras and studied in conservatories worldwide.

Gershwin's gift for melody and harmonic sophistication made him equally comfortable writing for Broadway and the concert hall. His collaborations with his brother Ira (who wrote lyrics) produced some of the most enduring American songs. For educators, Gershwin's music offers students direct access to a composer who took popular idioms seriously and elevated them through craft.

Why we love this

Mark Hayes captures Gershwin's infectious energy and rhythmic vitality in a choral arrangement that actually swings. The piece moves from a martial opening to full ensemble exuberance, giving singers the thrill of performing genuine American concert music rather than a diluted novelty.

What to expect

Patriotic exuberance wrapped in Gershwin's sophisticated harmonies. The piece radiates confidence and joy, opening with military precision before dissolving into a celebration of American popular idiom. Singers experience the satisfaction of performing recognizable material that sounds and feels contemporary.

Who it's for

Choirs preparing concerts or festival programs who want a showstopper with genuine musical substance. This arrangement works for intermediate to advanced high school choirs, community choruses, and college ensembles seeking a piece that combines accessibility with harmonic and rhythmic sophistication.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the opening verse with crisp articulation and precision; the martial character sets the tone for everything that follows.
  • Balance the ensemble sound carefully as the texture thickens; ensure inner voices don't disappear when fuller harmonies enter.
  • Commit fully to the rhythmic drive, especially in the climactic sections. This arrangement demands energy and conviction from every singer.
  • If using the SoundTrax CD accompaniment, have singers listen to it during rehearsals so they internalize the groove and can lock in with the recorded drums and trumpet lines.

How to use it

Position this as a concert closer or anchor a program celebrating twentieth-century American music. Its upbeat character and broad appeal make it ideal for spring concerts, pops concerts, or community events where you want to end on a note of pure celebration.

Skills your students will build

  • Rhythmic precision in syncopated, jazz-influenced passages
  • Balancing melody and harmony in thickly voiced choral textures
  • Coordinate with recorded accompaniment and instrumental parts
  • Sustaining forward momentum and energy across a full arrangement

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