Sweet Petite Winter Suite: Score
By Brian Balmages
Grade: 2
Item: 98-DST6359S
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Description
This short four-movement suite pays homage to the composer's favorite winter treats! A delightful and spritely opening depicts Candy Canes before the piece moves into a heartwarming lyrical movement to portray Hot Chocolate (right in front of the fire after a long day of sledding). A playful third movement, Peppermint Bark, has a dance-like quality as it moves naturally between 4/4 and 3/4. The final movement, Gingerbread Man, depicts the very man himself running as fast as he can while being chased by a slew of holiday carols. "Tasty" music at its best!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Sweet Petite Winter Suite: Score 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:
FJH Developing Strings
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-DST6359S
More about this title
About the Composer: Brian Balmages
Brian Balmages has built a career bridging orchestral, wind band, and chamber music, establishing himself as a composer and conductor whose works appear on stages from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. His accolades include the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association, the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light, and membership in the American Bandmasters Association. He received the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award and was later commissioned by the University of Miami to compose music for the inauguration of the institution's president.
Balmages maintains an active conducting schedule with all-state ensembles, university orchestras, and professional groups worldwide. His music reached a national platform when it was performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service. Currently, he serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.
Why we love this
Balmages captures the whimsy and warmth of winter traditions without sacrificing musical substance. The shifting meters and character contrasts give young string players genuine musical challenges within an accessible Grade 2 framework, and the holiday pops context makes this piece a natural fit for December concerts where both audience and ensemble expect joy over complexity.
What to expect
A musical winter wonderland where each movement invites you to taste something different. From the bright, bouncing energy of candy canes through the comfort of a fireside moment with hot chocolate, then into the spirited dance of peppermint bark, and finally into the breathless chase of a gingerbread man fleeing holiday melodies, the suite moves with infectious charm and genuine musical substance.
Who it's for
Young string orchestras at the developing level who are ready to tackle character work and metric variety without lengthy technical passages. Directors building a winter concert program will find this four-movement suite both musically substantial and genuinely entertaining for mixed-age and mixed-ability ensembles.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the conductor's beat patterns clearly in rehearsal, especially during the transition between 4/4 and 3/4 in the Peppermint Bark movement; let the ensemble feel the metric shifts as natural instead of disruptive.
- Shape the Hot Chocolate movement with sustained, warm bow pressure to highlight its lyrical character and contrast it sharply against the rhythmic energy of the surrounding movements.
- Use the final movement's cascading carols to build momentum; encourage strings to articulate the chase sequence with crisp bow strokes and clear attacks.
How to use it
Program this suite as the opening statement in a December concert to set a playful tone while allowing younger ensembles to showcase their growing musicianship. Its four distinct movements provide natural pacing variety, making it an ideal bridge between a serious opening work and other holiday selections, or it can stand alone as a complete, satisfying program piece.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing metric changes between 4/4 and 3/4 time signatures
- Sustaining lyrical tone and phrasing across longer melodic lines
- Articulation and attack control in fast, rhythmically precise passages
- Shaping character-driven sections and contrasting musical moods
- Ensemble balance and blend across multiple movement tempos and textures