The Darkness is Always Soft: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Ryan Fraley
Grade: 4
Item: 98-DB1057
$65.00
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Description
This work combines dissonant harmonies with a very beautiful and tonal melody throughout. Highlights of the work include bold fanfares, flowing contrapuntal lines, extensive percussion writing, and a haunting ending that will surprise you and your audience. Highly recommended! (7:00)
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Additional Details
Series:
FJH Symphonic Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-DB1057
More about this title
Why we love this
Fraley strikes an unusual balance here: the harmonic language stays unsettled and complex, yet the melodic writing remains genuinely lyrical and memorable. That combination keeps players engaged with the challenge while audiences connect with something they can actually sing along with in their minds. The extended percussion writing and structural surprises also mean your section leaders will have real material to sink their teeth into.
What to expect
The opening establishes an unsettled, shadowy quality that contrasts sharply with the beauty of the main melody weaving through. As bold gestures punctuate the texture and counterpoint flows beneath, you feel the piece building toward something, creating real tension that the haunting conclusion resolves in an unexpected way.
Who it's for
Grade 4 bands that have developed secure intonation and can handle sustained dissonance without losing focus. Ensembles looking for a contest or festival piece that stands out from typical programming will find the combination of technical writing and emotional impact compelling.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the dissonant harmonies against the tonal melody by having the inner voices play with restraint in softer passages; let them breathe rather than thicken the texture.
- Shape the fanfares with crisp articulation and clear dynamic peaks, treating them as dramatic punctuation rather than rushing through them.
- Give your percussion section space to be heard, especially the writing in the middle section. These lines are compositional statements, not accompaniment.
- Resist the urge to telegraph the ending. The surprise depends on maintaining forward momentum until the final moment arrives.
How to use it
This works as a concert centerpiece for a program exploring contemporary compositional approaches, or as a contest selection where you want to showcase both technical maturity and musical sensitivity. At 7 minutes, it can anchor a middle section of a full concert without overwhelming the rest of your selections.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining tone quality over extended dissonant harmonies
- Reading and balancing independent contrapuntal lines within sections
- Executing stylistically appropriate articulation for fanfare writing
- Responding to subtle dynamic and textural shifts
- Coordinating with extended percussion writing across multiple instrumental voices