The Nighthawk of Golden Bell: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
By Cameron Law
Grade: 2
Item: 35-PK01731496
$45.00
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Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
| Product | Price | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| The Nighthawk of Golden Bell - Full Score | $7.00 | |
| The Nighthawk of Golden Bell - Violin 1 | $2.50 | |
| The Nighthawk of Golden Bell - Violin 2 | $2.50 | |
| The Nighthawk of Golden Bell - Viola | $2.50 | |
| The Nighthawk of Golden Bell - Cello | $2.50 | |
| The Nighthawk of Golden Bell - Bass | $2.50 |
Parts Added to Cart!
Description
The Nighthawk of Golden Bell was commissioned for the 30th anniversary of Camp Con Brio (formerly the Colorado ASTA String Camp), which the composer founded in 1995. The camp is currently held every summer at nearly 10,000 feet elevation at the Golden Bell Camp above the town of Divide, Colorado. The work is programmatic, bringing to life a poem about the quest of a young camper who must decide between the security of the familiar and the uncertainty of the unknown. The poem is an allegory for the choices we make in life. A short introduction (including a disguised quote from Stravinskis Firebird) is followed by an exciting quest including wolf howls and bird screeches. At a mountain summit, the child receives council from a mythical bird before continuing the journey.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK01731496
More about this title
Why we love this
Cameron Law writes for young orchestras with real musical substance. The hidden Stravinsky quote rewards attentive listening, while the programmatic arc gives your ensemble a narrative to inhabit rather than just notes to play. It's the kind of piece that reminds students why they're in orchestra.
What to expect
A journey unfolding at mountain altitude. The piece captures that peculiar mix of awe and anxiety that comes with stepping into unfamiliar territory, painted through instrumental color and movement rather than sentimentality.
Who it's for
String orchestras at the early intermediate level looking for repertoire with genuine storytelling potential. Works equally well for camps, festival performances, or spring concerts where you want something kids will remember.
How to get the most out of it
- The wolf howls and bird screeches need commitment from the full ensemble. These aren't cute sound effects; treat them as dramatic peaks that drive the story forward.
- Balance the Stravinsky reference in the introduction so it registers as an inside joke for musicians who know the Firebird. Keep it transparent without overshadowing the original material.
- The summit scene requires textural clarity. Have the mythical bird's counsel emerge distinctly from the surrounding orchestration so the shift in emotional temperature lands.
How to use it
Pair this with a lighter opening number and a bold closer to create a concert arc that feels complete. The programmatic content pairs nicely with thematic programming around growth, adventure, or decision-making. At camps and institutes, it doubles as both performance vehicle and pedagogical text about compositional storytelling.
Skills your students will build
- Executing extended techniques (wolf howls, screeches) with rhythmic precision
- Responding to programmatic cues to shape phrasing and dynamics
- Recognizing quotation and allusion as compositional tools
- Balancing independent lines within a textured, layered orchestration
- Sustaining musical narrative across tempo and character changes