Thunderbolt Fanfare: B-flat Tenor Saxophone
By Brian Balmages
Grade: 1.5
Item: 98-PC-DB1776_TX1
$7.00
Pickup currently not available
Description
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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Sample Audio
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Additional Details
Series:
FJH Developing Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-PC-DB1776_TX1
More about this title
About the Composer: Brian Balmages
Brian Balmages has established himself as a composer and conductor working across orchestral, band, and chamber repertoire at every performance level. His works have been heard in major concert halls including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and 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, along with the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest award for Love and Light.
Balmages has guest conducted at the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, and numerous state and national conferences. He received the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts and was commissioned by the University of Miami to compose music for the inauguration of its 6th president. His concert music was performed during the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.
Why we love this
Balmages captures the raw power of a natural disaster without relying on pictorial clichés. The percussion writing is genuinely inventive and keeps younger players engaged throughout, while the modular section near the end offers a smart compositional surprise that rewards careful rehearsal and makes students feel like they are part of something architecturally sophisticated.
What to expect
The piece channels urgency and visceral force throughout. Moments of quiet tension give way to a relentless forward momentum punctuated by sudden sonic clusters that feel both threatening and exhilarating, building toward a conclusion that burns with unspent energy.
Who it's for
Grade 1.5 concert bands looking for a festival or contest piece that balances accessibility with compositional substance. This work rewards younger ensembles who can handle driving rhythmic material and unconventional sonorities without getting overwhelmed.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the cluster passages with clear dynamic architecture so the sound feels overwhelming rather than muddy; balance is the key to making the dissonance land with impact.
- Guard against rhythmic drift during the unrelenting drive sections by establishing a rock-solid pulse in the percussion section before integrating the winds.
- Emphasize the brief moments of release as genuine breathing room; they will feel more powerful if the contrast is sharp and intentional.
- Approach the modular twist as a structural pivot point that demands precision from all parts; rehearse the transition into the fiery conclusion as a single continuous gesture.
How to use it
Program this as a festival opener or contest selection that will capture audience attention immediately and showcase your ensemble's technical control and dynamic range. The Grade 1.5 level and strong pedagogical content make it ideal for spring festival circuits or culminating concerts where you want to demonstrate growth without overshadowing chamber or solo features on the same program.
Skills your students will build
- Playing sustained pitch in cluster textures and managing tuning in dissonant sonorities
- Maintaining rhythmic precision and tempo stability under driving, relentless patterns
- Shaping brief dynamic contrasts and release sections with intentional phrasing
- Responding to complex modular structures and ensemble transitions
- Balancing independent percussion lines while maintaining ensemble cohesion