Thunderbolt Fanfare: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$60.00 USD

Thunderbolt Fanfare: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Thunderbolt Fanfare: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1776
Price: 60.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 1.5

Item: 98-B1776

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Based on clusters of sound and an unrelenting rhythmic drive, the music was imagined after the composer’s home was hit by lightning. The work has an urgency about it that is juxtaposed with brief moments of release before tension builds once again. Percussion plays a big role throughout and a modular twist occurs toward the end as the inexhaustible energy moves into a fiery conclusion.

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Series: FJH Developing Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 241444402702

SKU: 98-B1776

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages has built a remarkable career moving fluidly across orchestral, band, and chamber music contexts, earning recognition from major institutions and venues worldwide. His works have appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House, performed by ensembles ranging from professional orchestras to elementary school groups. He is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association and received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association.

Balmages has earned significant commissions and honors throughout his career. He won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light, was commissioned by the University of Miami for its presidential inauguration, and saw his music performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service. As Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education, he continues to shape music education nationally while maintaining an active guest conducting schedule with all-state ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras across the globe.

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Why we love this

Balmages has crafted a work that sustains interest through textural momentum rather than melodic complexity, making it ideal for younger bands still developing ensemble cohesion. The strategic use of percussion and the modular structure near the end give students clear musical landmarks, while the contest/festival designation signals that this piece has proven itself in adjudicated settings where bands expect to be competitive at this level.

What to expect

The music unfolds like a storm building in intensity, with sound clusters and relentless forward motion creating urgency that never quite lets the listener settle. Brief moments of calm emerge before tension surges again, and by the end the energy has become almost overwhelming, burnished by a fierce, glittering conclusion.

Who it's for

Grade 1.5 concert bands with solid rhythm section foundation and percussion depth will find this accessible while still engaging. The piece works particularly well for groups preparing for festival or contest settings where impact and coherence matter more than technical display.

How to get the most out of it

Establish the rhythmic drive early in rehearsals by isolating the pulse with rhythm section and low brass before layering in the upper woodwinds and mid-range parts.
Treat the brief release moments as genuine breaths in the structure, not as hesitations; these contrasts only land if the tension preceding them has been genuinely built.
Study the modular section toward the end carefully in your score to understand where instrumental groupings shift, then rehearse those transitions separately so they feel inevitable rather than awkward.

How to use it

Open a concert with this fanfare to set an immediate tone of energy and focus, or place it as a high-impact closer that leaves the audience energized. Its Grade 1.5 level means it works well in programs with mixed-difficulty repertoire, giving newer or less experienced groups a showcase piece while maintaining standards.

Skills your students will build

Sustaining rhythmic drive across extended passages without rushing or dragging
Responding to sudden dynamic and textural shifts while maintaining ensemble unity
Balancing percussion color with wind textures to create cohesive sound clusters
Navigating modular structural changes and instrumental regroupings
Building and releasing tension as a collective musical gesture