Band

Explore the history and beauty of West Virginia with this exciting new overture. The powerful opening takes us to a flowing, expressive contrast section that lets you show the lyrical side of your band. The exciting accelerando lifts the piece to a majestic finale. Work with the history faculty to create a unit on the history of West Virginia's founding. Concert or contest, your audience will enjoy this one. (Grade 2)

It has been difficult to find mature sounding arrangements of patriotic music for the Grade 1 band. The stately tempo and carefully controlled ranges and rhythms in this one makes James Curnow's skillful interpretation of The Battle Hymn of the Republic accessible to young bands while sounding sophisticated enough for groups that normally play more difficult music. Freedom's Song belongs in every music library. (Grade 1)