Suite for Symphonic Strings (Full Score): Conductor Score, Strings

Harrison's Suite for Symphonic Strings offers conductors a 20th-century work that sounds sophisticated without requiring extreme technical difficulty from string players. The score balances modern harmonic language with clear orchestration and memorable melodic content, making it rewarding to rehearse and compelling to hear in concert.

The Suite unfolds with a lyrical, introspective quality characteristic of Harrison's style. The music balances contemplative passages with moments of rhythmic vitality, creating an arc that feels both modern and warmly expressive.

This conductor score serves music directors leading advanced high school or college string orchestras and professional ensembles seeking meaningful 20th-century repertoire. String players with solid intonation and secure reading skills will find the part work engaging and gratifying.

• Balance the dialogue between sections carefully; Harrison's orchestration often features antiphonal writing between violin choirs and lower strings that gains impact only when each group projects clearly.
• Attend to intonation in the harmonic passages, particularly where Harrison uses just intonation concepts. The strings will need extra rehearsal time on these sonorities to achieve the intended tonal color.
• Shape phrases with attention to Harrison's melodic contours rather than strict metronomic regularity. The music benefits from subtle breathing and rubato that allows the lyrical content to emerge.
• Use the full 80-page score to plan sectional rehearsals efficiently. Identify passages where strings play tutti versus divided passages, then schedule sectionals accordingly.

Program this work on a concert that pairs 20th-century American composers or as the centerpiece of a concert exploring world music influences in Western classical composition. Its length and accessibility make it suitable for a spring or fall concert where you want to showcase the string section's maturity.

• Reading and responding to nuanced dynamic and articulation markings in contemporary scores
• Achieving unified intonation in extended harmonic passages using just intonation principles
• Performing antiphonal and divided string writing with clarity and independence
• Interpreting modern compositional language with interpretive flexibility and musical sensitivity