Where the Black Hawk Soars: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Smith crafts a piece that rewards both conductor and ensemble without demanding virtuosity beyond Grade 3 reach. The fanfare-to-soaring-melody arc gives your band a satisfying narrative arc and a genuine feature moment for your principal melodic voices, while the wind imagery throughout creates natural opportunities for sectional blend and phrase shaping.

The piece opens with ceremonial brilliance, then shifts into something more intimate and lyrical as the hawk takes wing. There's a sense of effortless motion, the kind of soaring that requires control but never sounds labored. The wind becomes a character in the story, shaping the melody's journey across the sky with gentle currents and open spaces.

This work sits perfectly for upper-level middle school or early high school concert bands seeking a substantial piece with narrative content and musical sophistication. It's equally at home on a spring concert or a festival program where you want to showcase musicianship without excessive technical demands.

• Shape the opening fanfare with clear articulation and controlled dynamics; this passage establishes the hawk's authority before the melody takes flight.
• Balance the soaring melodic line so it floats above the accompaniment rather than straining against it; younger players often push too hard in their upper register when aiming for "majestic."
• Use the wind imagery as a rehearsal device: cue students to listen for air moving through the band, which shifts focus from individual parts to collective resonance.
• Allow rubato in the melodic passages where freedom is implied; this isn't a metronomic piece and slight give-and-take will bring the flight to life.

Pair this as a concert centerpiece or opener, especially on programs celebrating nature themes or modern American composition. At nearly six minutes, it stands as a full concert statement without overshadowing lighter works. It's also contest-ready for bands looking for a piece that balances artistic merit with accessibility.

• Balancing independent melodic lines against accompanying textures
• Sustaining long, exposed lyrical phrases with consistent tone and intonation
• Responding to subtle dynamic and tempo cues that convey imagery and emotion
• Reading compound meters and varied rhythmic figures typical of Grade 3 concert band repertoire
• Blending wind sounds and creating unified sectional color