The Maid of the Mist: 6 Trumpets Score & Parts

Marlatt's arrangement opens up what is traditionally a solo vehicle to an entire trumpet section, creating genuine ensemble writing rather than five accompanists backing one player. The break strains distribute melodic material between flugelhorn and first cornet, so every player in the section gets moments that matter. A polka framework keeps the energy high while the quick-finger passages and triple-tonguing demands give your advanced players exactly the right technical challenge.

Crisp and playful, like watching those Niagara Falls sightseeing boats cut through the water on a bright day. The polka rhythm keeps everything bouncing; the fast passagework sparkles, particularly when the section moves in tight articulation. There is charm here alongside genuine technical ambition, never pretentious.

Trumpet sections with at least four advanced players plus one or two intermediate ensemble members. Directors programming a concert that needs a confident, audience-friendly showpiece without resorting to repetitive pop arrangements. Groups with a flugelhorn player in the section will unlock the full voice-leading Clarke intended.

• Establish the polka pulse early in rehearsal by having the rhythm section lock the subdivision; the fast passages will sit more confidently over a rock-solid beat.
• Allocate extra time to the triple-tonguing passages. Break them into smaller segments and work them slowly before assembling at tempo; Clarke's figurations sit in the middle register where clarity matters most.
• Shape the melodic exchanges between flugelhorn and cornet 1 with clear phrasing and balance; these moments are the composition's musical heart, not mere technical display.
• Address blend in the tutti sections immediately. Six bright instruments can easily become shrill; a lighter approach to articulation in fast passages serves the music better than forcing volume.

Position this early-to-mid concert as a palate cleanser after heavier concert work, or use it as the finale to a brass showcase. It works especially well alongside other light classics from the brass repertoire, signaling to an audience that you take both technical excellence and musical joy seriously. The polka character makes it an ideal fit for pops concerts or family-friendly events.

• Triple tonguing articulation and clarity
• Quick-finger scalar and arpeggio passage work at tempo
• Ensemble blend and balance across six voices
• Stylistic interpretation of polka rhythm and phrasing
• Solo cornet and flugelhorn coordination in melodic exchanges