Three Susato Dances from The Danserye: Concert Band Conductor Score

David Marlatt's arrangement makes these Renaissance dances genuinely exciting for modern concert bands without compromising historical character. The orchestration allows every section to feature prominently, so your students feel invested in the performance rather than just filling harmonic gaps. The contrast between brilliant articulate passages and singing lyrical sections gives your band a real stylistic challenge that pays off musically.

These dances have an elegance and buoyancy that feels immediate and genuine. There is joy in the bright articulate sections and a courtly grace in the lyrical passages, creating music that sounds refined without sounding distant or academic. Performed well, the ensemble feels connected to something timeless.

Concert bands at Grade 2 level can tackle these dances without technical strain while focusing entirely on style and ensemble cohesion. Directors seeking to build awareness of Renaissance music and its conventions will find these pieces rewarding for both players and audiences. The short format makes them perfect for programs that need a graceful transition or tonal palette shift.

• Establish uniform articulation language before rehearsal: decide whether short notes are detached, clipped, or lightly tongued, then hold the section accountable to that standard throughout.
• Shape the dynamics as ensemble statements, not individual moments. When the score calls for forte, every instrument commits to it; when pulling back to piano, the whole band retreats together.
• Allow the melody to breathe during lyrical passages by slightly relaxing tempo and letting phrases have natural length rather than metronomic precision.
• Rotate which sections carry the primary theme at different rehearsals so students understand the harmonic architecture and why the arrangement passes the tune around.

Open a concert with these three dances to establish an intimate, polished tone before moving into larger works. Pair them with other Renaissance or early Baroque selections to create a thematic program exploring instrumental music before the Baroque era solidified. Use them mid-year as a lighter contrast to more demanding contemporary pieces, or near spring as a confidence builder when sections are still developing independence.

• Matching articulation and dynamics across the full ensemble
• Balancing independent melodic lines within a harmonic texture
• Understanding Renaissance style conventions through performance
• Leadership and listening skills as melodic material rotates between sections
• Dynamic control and shaping of lyrical vs. brilliant passages