Two Irish Folk Melodies: E-flat Alto Saxophone

This setting gives your trumpet soloist a genuine showcase while keeping the band part gratifying and achievable at the high school level. Hunsberger's orchestration honors both the lyrical beauty of these Irish melodies and the character of the original Marsalis/Eastman collaboration, creating an arrangement that feels concert-ready without demanding virtuosic writing from every section.

Warm and nostalgic, with the character of a folk song sung around a hearth. The arrangement wraps these familiar Irish melodies in rich harmonic colors and gentle orchestral textures that feel both intimate and spacious, inviting the listener into a reflective moment.

Concert bands at the high school level seeking repertoire that showcases a strong trumpet soloist while offering the full ensemble a musically rewarding part. This works well for bands with intermediate to upper-level reading skills and a capable solo trumpet player ready for a featured role.

• Balance the trumpet soloist against the ensemble by having the band play with restraint in softer passages; these folk melodies need space to breathe, and over-balancing the accompaniment will bury the song's heart.
• Work the rubato with your soloist before full ensemble rehearsals. The flexibility that makes these tunes sing often comes from subtle tempo give-and-take, and the band needs to follow and support those musical choices.
• Pay attention to the harmonic color in the woodwind writing. Hunsberger often voices supporting harmonies in ways that require blend and balance; uneven intonation will muddy the lush textures he's created.
• Shape phrases with the soloist's breathing, not against it. These are vocal melodies transposed to trumpet, and the band will sound more musical if sections release slightly at the soloist's natural phrase endings.

Program this as a contrasting piece alongside more contemporary concert band works, or as a centerpiece for a concert themed around folk traditions or cultural music. The five-minute runtime makes it an ideal bridge between longer compositional forms, and the melodic accessibility appeals broadly to audiences.

• Accompanying a featured soloist with sensitivity and rhythmic precision
• Voicing and blending complex harmonic textures across woodwind and brass sections
• Responding to expressive interpretation and flexible phrasing from a soloist
• Reading and executing dynamic shadings that support rather than compete with the solo line
• Balancing part-writing where multiple sections share the harmonic responsibility