Summit City: Concert Band Conductor Score

$7.00 USD

Summit City: Concert Band Conductor Score

Name: Summit City: Concert Band Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1297S
Price: 7.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 5

Item: 98-B1297S

$7.00

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This short concert opener is based on a single rhythmic cell that eventually explodes into a bundle of energy leaving your audience breathless. Making use of optional harp, the opening quickly gains momentum as it leads to a huge brass fanfare. Three summits or peaks continually build the work until the final section where the rhythmic cell transforms, leading to a final climactic chord. Stunning!

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Series: FJH Symphonic Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 241444479728

SKU: 98-B1297S

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages has established himself as a composer and conductor whose work reaches across orchestral, band, and chamber music traditions. His compositions have been performed by ensembles from professional symphony orchestras to elementary school groups at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House. He received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association and won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light. His music was performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service and commissioned for the inauguration of the University of Miami's sixth president.

As a conductor, Balmages regularly appears with all-state ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras worldwide, with notable guest conducting credits at the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, and the College Band Directors Conference. He holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association and received the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts. Currently, he serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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Why we love this

Balmages understands what makes a contest piece work: a central rhythmic gesture that can sustain development across a short time frame, clear formal architecture with distinct peaks, and orchestration that builds excitement without requiring an expanded instrumentation. The optional harp adds sophistication without making it essential, and the transformation of the opening cell in the finale gives the work compositional integrity that judges and audiences both recognize.

What to expect

Summit City charges forward with propulsive rhythm and builds through ascending peaks of intensity. The journey from tight, focused opening to a climactic brass statement feels inevitable and earned, leaving the audience energized and eager for what comes next.

Who it's for

Grade 5 concert bands seeking a high-impact opener with competition credentials. This work suits ensembles with solid technical facility and good ensemble control, requiring precision rhythmic unity and confident brass execution.

How to get the most out of it

Lock the rhythmic cell into your section leaders before the first rehearsal. Consistency here determines how effectively the three structural peaks land and build.
Balance the optional harp part against the ensemble's dynamic level; if you're using harp, it should shimmer without disappearing into the texture.
Shape the brass fanfare with a clear crescendo arc rather than approaching it as a single block of sound. This fanfare earns its impact through momentum.
Mark the transformation of the rhythmic cell in the final section clearly in your score so players hear where their familiar material shifts character.

How to use it

This works brilliantly as a contest opener or festival showcase piece that establishes ensemble confidence immediately. On a concert program, it pairs well with contrasting material; its kinetic energy creates a natural break point early in the set.

Skills your students will build

Ensemble rhythmic precision and pulse maintenance through extended rhythmic ostinato
Dynamic control and sectional balance in three-peak structural development
Brass ensemble blend and intonation during sustained fanfare passages
Score reading and attention to transformation of thematic material across formal sections