Water Music Mini Suite: 6 Trumpets Score & Parts

David Marlatt's arrangement cuts right to what makes Water Music so satisfying: grand gestures, clear harmonic movement, and a chance for trumpet players to play in section without getting lost in thick orchestration. The two-choir texture gives you scoring flexibility and lets less experienced players anchor themselves while stronger players drive the dialogue. For contest and festival programming, this hits the mark between familiar Baroque repertoire and a piece that sounds polished after reasonable rehearsal time.

Stately and ceremonial, with moments of real brilliance. The music moves with Baroque dignity and proportion, yet there's energy underneath; this is fanfare music with intelligence behind it. When the six trumpets lock into the harmonies, the result is regal and clean.

This arrangement works for advancing high school and college trumpet ensembles with solid fundamentals in ensemble balance and Baroque style. It's equally suited to community brass groups looking for substantial repertoire that showcases the trumpet without requiring full orchestra resources.

• Balance the two trumpet choirs as distinct voices rather than blending them into one mass of sound. Each trio should have clear articulation and phrasing identity.
• Shape the melodic lines with forward motion through the phrase rather than stopping at the bar line. Handel's baroque style demands that you pull listeners through the music.
• Assign the lower parts to flugel horns only if your trumpet section has the strength to anchor the sound without them; an ensemble with weaker low brass often sounds more cohesive keeping all six on trumpet.
• Let the rhythmic figures breathe in the faster movements. Articulation should be clean and decisive, but not clipped to the point of losing musical connection between the notes.

This pairs naturally on a concert with other Baroque or classical brass arrangements, or as an anchor point in a program featuring multiple pieces by a single composer. It also serves well as an opening or closing work at contests and festivals where a strong, recognizable statement makes an impression.

• Baroque phrasing and articulation in ensemble settings
• Sectional independence while maintaining harmonic blend
• Balanced part writing across three-part textures
• Style-appropriate vibrato control and tone production
• Reading and responding to conductor-driven phrase shaping