Ultimate Battle: 3rd Percussion
By Brian Balmages
Grade: 1.5
Item: 00-PC-0019372_PC3
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Description
Only two remain. The title of "champion" hangs in the balance. Welcome to the soundtrack of the ultimate battle, featuring powerful percussion writing, ominous harmonies, and victorious fanfares. Brian Balmages has written music that will keep you on the edge of your seat; let the games begin! (2:30)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Ultimate Battle: 3rd Percussion comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
MakeMusic Developing Band
Publisher:
MakeMusic Publications
SKU:
00-PC-0019372_PC3
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 music with equal facility. His works have been performed by ensembles spanning from professional symphony orchestras to elementary school groups in landmark venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House.
Balmages is an A. Austin Harding Award recipient and a member of the American Bandmasters Association. He won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for his work Love and Light and received the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts. His music was performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, and he was commissioned by the University of Miami to compose for the inauguration of the institution's president. As a conductor, he maintains regular engagements with all-state ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras worldwide. Currently, he serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.
Why we love this
Balmages understands what makes a Grade 1.5 piece effective: clear orchestration that lets student musicians sound accomplished without overwhelming them, and narrative momentum that sustains engagement across the full runtime. The contest designation signals a piece built for adjudicated performance, meaning the writing is clean, the proportions are satisfying, and the payoff is immediate. Your band will sound dramatic and confident performing this.
What to expect
The music evokes the tension and spectacle of a championship moment: ominous undercurrents build and shift into brilliant fanfares, keeping the ensemble and audience invested in the outcome. The 2:30 duration sustains dramatic energy without lingering, leaving both performers and listeners energized.
Who it's for
This piece is ideal for developing bands ready to tackle programmatic music with dramatic intent. The Grade 1.5 level accommodates bands with mixed experience while the contest designation ensures the score is rewarding for both student musicians and the conductor.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the percussion layer carefully; Balmages has written it prominently, but it should energize the ensemble rather than overshadow the melodic voices. Use this as an opportunity to build your percussionists' awareness of blend and dynamic control.
- Let the fanfare sections breathe. Resist the urge to rush; the victorious character lands harder when the band maintains a composed, confident tempo through the brass writing.
- Shape the ominous harmonic sections with attention to voice leading. Even at this level, the darker moments gain power when the band understands which voices carry the line and which provide support.
How to use it
Program this as the centerpiece of a concert focused on contemporary band literature or as a standalone festival selection. The dramatic arc and compact length make it an excellent choice for opening a set or serving as a high-energy transition between contrasting pieces.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing multiple textural layers (melody, harmony, rhythm section)
- Playing with rhythmic precision in syncopated passages
- Shaping dynamic contrasts from ominous to victorious
- Sustaining ensemble cohesion during harmonic shifts
- Executing clean brass articulation in fanfare writing