Summer Dances: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Balmages writes with genuine understanding of what makes a concert band concert memorable. Summer Dances packs substantial musical material into a six-minute arc without ever feeling overloaded, moving decisively from the woodwind-driven opening through chamber intimacy into the full ensemble statement with natural pacing that holds audience attention. The piece gives your band real moments to shine across the ensemble while remaining teachable at Grade 4.

Summer Dances opens with airy, dancing woodwind colors before a bold brass proclamation claims the stage. The piece flows between moments of lyric beauty and rhythmic vitality, building toward a stately, confident dance that draws everyone in the ensemble into one unified sound. The ending arrives with genuine power and resolution.

Band directors preparing a Grade 4 ensemble for concert or festival performance. This piece works equally well for groups with solid fundamentals looking to explore contrasting textures and full-ensemble writing, or as a showcase for the progress of an intermediate ensemble.

• Balance the opening woodwind flourishes so they sparkle without overwhelming the entrance of the brass motive; think support rather than feature.
• The contrasting sections require clear transitions in tempo and character; mark your beats deliberately at section changes so the ensemble follows your gesture confidently.
• Bring out the lyric chamber section with space and air around the melodic lines; this quiet section deepens the impact of the full ensemble return.
• Shape the final statement and powerful ending with building energy; drive through the last few measures while maintaining clarity in the texture.

Place this as an anchor piece on a concert where you want to demonstrate breadth and contrast. The journey from delicate textures to full ensemble brilliance pairs well alongside a lyric opening number and a smaller chamber work, allowing your program to highlight different facets of your band's musicality.

• Balancing sustained melodic lines against accompaniment patterns
• Responding to sudden tempo and texture changes
• Executing clean articulation in rapid woodwind passages
• Building and sustaining ensemble sound through a full-band climax
• Interpreting and executing contrasting musical characters within a single piece