The Best of Queen: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Murtha nails the balance here. The medley captures three iconic Queen moments without sacrificing the driving force that makes these songs instantly recognizable. At Grade 2, your students get genuine stadium energy without being buried in complexity.

Three minutes of unrelenting forward momentum wrapped in infectious hooks. The arrangement channels Queen's knack for building tension and release, with moments of unity that feel genuinely triumphant rather than forced.

Concert bands at the Grade 2 level looking for repertoire with immediate appeal and authentic rock character. This works for groups eager to connect with music their students actually listen to while building fundamental ensemble skills.

• Keep the eighth-note rhythms crisp and propulsive throughout. These grooves live on precision in the lower voices.
• Lock the dynamics across your sections early. Queen's power comes from everyone hitting the same peak moments together.
• Let "We Will Rock You" breathe at the stomp. Resist the urge to rush; the tension is in the wait before the hit.
• Balance the melodic content between clarinet and trumpet sections so the anthem qualities shine without one overpowering the other.

Open a spring concert with this to grab your audience from the first note. The three-minute duration makes it perfect for balancing a program heavy on classical or standard wind band fare, and it works especially well when you want a confidence builder early in your set.

• Maintaining steady groove feel in rock/pop idioms
• Sectional ensemble balance and blend within contemporary styles
• Reading and executing driving eighth-note rhythmic patterns
• Dynamic shaping across longer phrase structures
• Responding to style-specific articulation and phrasing conventions