We, the Children of America: Concert Band Conductor Score

Feldstein captures genuine patriotic sentiment without resorting to cheap sentiment, and this score reads cleanly for conductors leading younger ensembles. The optional instrumentation flexibility means you can program it as a concert band piece, expand it with strings, add choir, or combine everything for a true festival moment that doesn't require extensive rehearsal time.

Stately and affirming, with the kind of straightforward melody and clear harmonic language that makes patriotic sentiment feel earned rather than imposed. The orchestration conveys celebration without bombast, inviting young musicians to perform something genuinely ceremonial.

Young concert bands (Grade 2) looking for substantive patriotic repertoire that works as a standalone piece or as the centerpiece of a combined performance with strings and voices. Directors seeking a concert closer that feels musically complete without overshooting their ensemble's technical capabilities.

• Balance the melodic content across sections rather than letting one voice dominate; younger players often need reminders about supporting rather than spotlighting.
• If you're adding the optional string orchestra and/or choir components, rehearse the band foundation first, then layer in additional forces gradually so blend and blend develop naturally.
• Shape the phrase endings with slight ritardando and dynamic tapering to give the piece ceremonial weight appropriate to its commemorative purpose.

Reserve this for your final concert of the season or a spring gala where combined ensemble performance is possible; the optional scoring flexibility makes it ideal for a finale that showcases multiple groups performing together. It also works as a powerful, appropriate piece for your 4th of July concert or end-of-year band showcase.

• Balancing melodic and accompaniment roles within a section
• Maintaining steady tempo through longer harmonic progressions
• Executing controlled dynamic shapes in sustained passages
• Blending with optional string and vocal ensembles
• Performing with appropriate ceremonial character and phrasing