When the Saints Go Marching In Cover Image

When the Saints Go Marching In: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

$44.00 USD

When the Saints Go Marching In: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Name: When the Saints Go Marching In: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-JEM03037
Price: 44.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Music by James M. Black, words by Katherine E. Purvis / arr. Mike Lewis

Grade: 2 (Medium Easy)

Item: 00-JEM03037

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New in the Jazz Expressions™ Series, When the Saints Go Marching In is well-known as a jazz classic. The focus in this chart is on melodic improvisation and the second-line New Orleans style at the medium-easy level. This arrangement begins with a slow funeral-like march then breaks into a spirited swing. Mike Lewis has crafted this chart to include the following: modest ranges, easy rhythms, plenty of section and ensemble work, a solo section for all wind players, optional parts for flute, clarinet, horn, baritone horn, and tuba. And check this out: STRING PARTS include violin (2), viola, and cello. The jazz band can include everyone!

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, When the Saints Go Marching In: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Jazz Expressions

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 98

UPC: 654979058007

SKU: 00-JEM03037

More about this title

About the Composer: James M. Black

James M. Black composed "When the Saints Go Marching In" in 1886, creating one of the most enduring melodies in American music. Originally published as a hymn tune, the piece found its true home in New Orleans jazz culture, where it became inseparable from the city's funeral processions and celebration-of-life traditions.

Black's composition transcends its original context entirely. The melody's simplicity and directness make it instantly memorable, while its structural flexibility allows musicians to interpret it across genres, styles, and skill levels. For music educators, Black's work represents how a single strong tune can anchor an entire ensemble experience, whether played straight or through jazz interpretation.

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Why we love this

Mike Lewis's arrangement captures the spiritual and celebratory essence of this New Orleans standard while keeping ranges accessible and rhythms straightforward, making it genuinely playable for a mixed-ability ensemble. The inclusion of string parts transforms what could be a standard jazz chart into a true full-ensemble experience, and the solo section for all wind players ensures everyone gets a moment to shine. The structural arc from slow funeral march into swinging celebration gives your ensemble a complete emotional journey to explore.

What to expect

The piece carries the weight of New Orleans tradition: a slow, reverential opening that honors the second-line funeral procession, then erupts into the joy and resilience that made that tradition endure. The swing section bounces with genuine lightness, celebrating rather than lamenting.

Who it's for

Directors building a jazz ensemble from a mixed instrumental pool, including strings. This arrangement welcomes students newer to jazz idiom because the rhythmic demands are modest and the harmonic language is straightforward, yet offers enough solo space to challenge developing improvisers.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the opening funeral march with restraint; the contrast will make the swing section land with much greater impact. Resist the urge to rush the tempo.
Work the second-line feel carefully with the rhythm section. The groove should feel relaxed and bouncy, not frantic or stiff.
During the wind soloist section, rotate who solos on each pass through the form so everyone gets air time. This keeps energy fresh and holds the ensemble's attention.
Balance the string voices against the jazz band during ensemble passages. Strings should support rather than compete with the front line.

How to use it

Place this in a spring concert celebrating American music traditions, or use it as a centerpiece for a program exploring jazz roots and New Orleans culture. It works equally well as a closer that sends the audience out smiling or as the anchor for a jazz-focused concert where it can showcase both traditional and improvised sensibilities.