To the Feast!: String Orchestra Conductor Score

$10.00 USD

To the Feast!: String Orchestra Conductor Score

Name: To the Feast!: String Orchestra Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-50842S
Price: 10.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Richard Meyer

Grade: 4

Item: 00-50842S

$10.00

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Music is on the menu in this tour de force for the advanced string orchestra! In To the Feast!, by Richard Meyer, all of your students get a seat at the table as the joyful melodies are tossed from section to section in a merry celebration that features flurries of scales, shifting time signatures (including a rollicking 7/8 section), and tasty modal harmonies. From the first note to the last, this selection will surely provide non-stop excitement for everyone on stage and out in the hall! (4:00)

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Series: Highland/Etling String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

ISBN10: 1-4706-6925-0

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-6925-6

UPC: 038081588070

SKU: 00-50842S

More about this title

About the Composer: Richard Meyer

Richard Meyer spent 35 years teaching string students across elementary, middle, and high school levels in California public schools. At Oak Avenue Intermediate School in Temple City, he directed orchestras for 22 years, expanding the program from 29 students to 200, while also overseeing the district's elementary string curriculum. He led the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra for 16 years, taking ensembles on concert tours to New York, Washington D.C., Vienna, Australia, and Canada.

Beyond the classroom, Meyer has established himself as a prolific composer with over 190 published works and arrangements. He served as string editor for Alfred Publishing Company for 16 years and co-authored several string method resources, including the String Explorer Series and Sight-read It for Strings. His "Giving Bach" initiative, launched in 2009, uses interactive concerts to reach special needs and underserved student populations across Southern California. He has been a featured clinician at major conferences including the A.S.T.A. National Conference and guest-conducted All-State orchestras in multiple states.

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Why we love this

Meyer writes with genuine understanding of what energizes a string orchestra at this level. The varied meters and modal harmonies challenge players without overwhelming them, while the constant trading of material keeps every section engaged from downbeat to final chord. It reads as a celebration of orchestral teamwork, not a conductor's showpiece.

What to expect

Joy radiates through this piece from start to finish. Melodies bounce between sections like guests passing dishes at a table, creating momentum that never stalls despite the shifting time signatures. The modal harmonies add sophistication and warmth, while the 7/8 section provides a cheeky rhythmic surprise that delights players and audiences alike.

Who it's for

Advanced Grade 4 string orchestras ready to tackle rhythmic complexity and harmonic color. Directors preparing for festival competition or showcasing ensemble maturity will find this a rewarding vehicle that sits squarely in the advanced intermediate range.

How to get the most out of it

Prepare the 7/8 section by isolating it in rehearsal with the metronome. Lock the pulse with half notes before layering in the sixteenth-note figurations.
Bring out the section-to-section melody transfers by having each group prepare their phrase with consistent vowel and tone quality, even when they're supporting underneath.
Balance the modal harmonies carefully; they'll sound muddy if the inner voices overshadow the melodic line. Use dynamic contrasts to clarify harmonic movement.
Work the scale passages as a unified gesture, not individual parts. Unison or light divisi rehearsals will tighten articulation and intonation across all sections.

How to use it

Program this as a centerpiece for a spring concert or festival performance where you want to showcase your orchestra's rhythmic chops and section leadership. Pair it with a contrasting lyrical work to balance the extroversion, or place it near the end of the set to send the audience out energized.

Skills your students will build

Reading mixed meters (7/8 in context of 4/4)
Executing modal harmony and non-traditional harmonic movement
Trading primary material between sections while maintaining ensemble cohesion
Playing rapid scale passage work with rhythmic precision and unified articulation
Balancing inner harmonic voices with melodic lines