The Haunted Granary: Concert Band Score & Parts

A slow creep toward something unsettling. The piece sits in a minor harmonic space with enough instrumental color from the flexatone and wordless vocalizations to suggest an old, empty building where something might be stirring. The restraint in rhythmic complexity allows each phrase to breathe and build genuine suspense rather than relying on chaos.

Beginning band directors looking for a Halloween-themed opener that doesn't condescend to young musicians or audiences. Groups in their first or second year of playing together will find the note constraints liberating rather than limiting, making this an ideal vehicle for teaching musicality and ensemble balance without wrestling with technical execution.

• Balance the vocalizations carefully so they enhance rather than obscure the instrumental lines. Have students who aren't singing listen to a recording or watch a rehearsal to understand how the effect should sit in the mix.
• Approach the flexatone part as a special effect, not an instrumental challenge. If your percussionist is new to the instrument, practice the technique separately and establish clear cues so entries stay locked with the ensemble.
• Use the one-minute-twenty-second duration strategically. The piece benefits from commitment to the programmatic atmosphere, so conduct with conviction and let the harmonic movement do the work of building tension rather than rushing tempos.

Open a fall concert or Halloween-themed performance with this piece to set an atmospheric tone. Its brevity makes it an ideal companion to more substantial works later in the program, or use it as a novelty opening that surprises audiences while showcasing your ensemble's ability to handle color and character. The programmatic title and striking instrumentation work well for community concert contexts where listeners expect narrative clarity.

• Reading and executing rhythmic precision with eighth notes and longer values
• Balancing vocalizations with instrumental ensemble texture
• Creating and sustaining programmatic atmosphere through phrasing and ensemble blend
• Performing with a non-traditional percussion instrument (flexatone)
• Responding to harmonic movement in a minor-key setting