The Ascension: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Smith captures the narrative sweep of Dante's Paradiso through pure orchestration, avoiding the trap of literal program music while maintaining vivid dramatic momentum. The part writing sits in that rare sweet spot where advanced high school and early college bands can execute genuinely virtuosic material without requiring professional-level technique, making the piece both immediately rewarding and deeply satisfying to prepare.

Luminous and propulsive, with brass passages that soar above shimmering woodwind textures while percussion creates layers of ascendant brilliance. The music conveys spiritual elevation through rhythmic momentum and harmonic brightness rather than slow reverence, capturing Dante's vision of paradise as ecstatic rather than serene.

Conductors leading Grade 5 concert bands seeking signature repertoire that demonstrates both musical maturity and technical advancement. Programs featuring works from the Divine Comedy trilogy or those building toward regional/state competitions will find this movement a showpiece that audiences recognize as contemporary craftsmanship.

• Balance the bravura wind passages by rehearsing them in small sectional groups first; Smith's layers are transparent by design, but intonation and articulation clarity require isolated work before full ensemble.
• Treat the percussion as an equal protagonist, not accompaniment. The dazzling effects are compositionally essential to the ascent narrative, and rushing or understating them collapses the drama.
• Shape the arc across the full 6:15 without excessive ritardando in the final moments. Let the composer's harmonic resolution do the work; trust the page.

Program this as the centerpiece of a concert exploring contemporary symphonic writing, or pair it with the earlier movements of The Divine Comedy for a complete artistic statement. Its six-minute length makes it ideal for festival concerts and regional band competitions where it functions as both educational showcase and audience highlight.

• Sustaining pitch accuracy and blend in exposed multi-part wind writing
• Ensemble coordination across contrasting textural layers (soloist winds over accompaniment)
• Precision in rhythmic unison at brisk tempos with mixed metrical groupings
• Dynamic control from whisper-soft transitions to full ensemble climaxes
• Percussion independence and musicality in idiomatic contemporary writing