Willow, Willow: Concert Band Conductor Score

$9.00 USD

Willow, Willow: Concert Band Conductor Score

Name: Willow, Willow: Concert Band Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-39518S
Price: 9.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Percy Aldridge Grainger / arr. Douglas E. Wagner

Grade: 2 (Easy)

Item: 00-39518S

$9.00

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The first of Grainger's settings of songs and tunes from William Chappell's "Old English Popular Music," this work offers the listener a languid and emotionally charged adaptation of Desdemona's song from Shakespeare's Othello. An intensely musical ballad, this setting is sure to satisfy even the most discriminating musical tastes. (2:30) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

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Series: Belwin Young Band

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 16

UPC: 038081452746

SKU: 00-39518S

More about this title

About the Composer: Percy Aldridge Grainger

Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961) was an Australian-born composer and pianist whose career spanned classical composition, folk music research, and innovative band writing. He studied in Melbourne and Frankfurt before establishing himself as a virtuoso pianist and composer in London and eventually the United States. Grainger's distinctive compositional voice emerged from his deep interest in folk music, particularly English and Scandinavian traditions, which he collected, arranged, and transformed into concert works of remarkable originality.

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Why we love this

Grainger's ability to extract profound emotional depth from a single folk melody is on full display here. Wagner's arrangement preserves the introspective beauty of the source material while making it accessible to developing ensembles, creating a piece that teaches musicality and restraint rather than technical display. This is the kind of ballad that reminds students why they play.

What to expect

Languid, introspective, and touched with melancholy. The setting unfolds with the unhurried quality of a lullaby, drawing the listener into an intimate emotional landscape. There's a quiet confidence in Grainger's orchestration, trusting that restraint and careful voice leading will move the ear far more than bombast.

Who it's for

This score is ideal for concert bands working at the Grade 2 level who want to program something genuinely musical and emotionally mature. Conductors seeking a ballad that develops students' sensitivity to lyrical playing and phrasing will find this indispensable.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the melodic line with a gentle, unhurried phrasing; the emotional weight comes from sustenance and warmth, not intensity.
Balance the upper woodwind voices carrying the melody against the supporting harmony; clarity matters more than volume.
Allow rubato in the middle sections to enhance the song's introspective character, but maintain pulse awareness for ensemble cohesion.
Use dynamic contrast sparingly; let the orchestration changes speak before reaching for additional volume or expression.

How to use it

Program this as a contrast piece in a concert that includes more energetic or technically demanding works. Its two-and-a-half-minute duration makes it ideal for opening a program with lyrical warmth or positioning it as a palette cleanser between contrasting selections. Consider pairing it with other Grainger band works or folk-based arrangements to build a thematic concert.