Top Ten Repertoire Picks

1. Title: English Folk Song Suite

Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams
Level: 4
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
Year of Publication: Revised in 2008
Justification: A very historical, and precise style of music. English
music is played with a specific attention to rhythmic accuracy and
matching of short and precise style across the ensemble. This piece of
music is technically challenging across the ensemble, and offers
beautiful lyrical lines as well. Three movements allow for the study of
three English folk songs, many different time signatures, as well as the
opportunity to play a very popular historical piece that was originally
written for a military band.
2. Title: Suite on Canadian Folksongs
Composer: Morley Calvert
Level: 4
Publisher: Eighth Note Publications (Canadian Publisher)
Year of Publication: 2006
Justification: This is a challenging and well-written piece of music for all
members of the ensemble. There is a great balance between solo and
chamber voices vs. full ensemble sound. This is a 3 movement work
that digs deeply into the themes of the following Canadian folksongs
Marianne ses va-t-au Moulin, Shes Like the Swallow, Jentends le
Moulin (I hear the Mill)
3. Title: An American Elegy
Composer: Frank Ticheli
Level: 4
Publisher: Manhattan Beach Music
Year of Publication: 2000
Justification: American Elegy is a beautifully written piece with a
powerful message that high school students can connect with
emotionally. The melody line, while slow, is challenging in terms in
phrasing, breath support, and matching balance and dynamics. The
contrasting sections allow for students to play strong and intense and
also to play soft and beautifully controlled.
4. Title: The Gum-Suckers March
Composer: Percy Grainger
Level: 4
Publisher: Southern Music Company
Year of Publication:

Justification: The Gum-Suckers March is a fun, technically challenging,

but achievable piece of music. Features 2 contrasting melodies one
lyrical and one quite staccato and short. It is a good tune that is
entertaining for an audience, and a lot of fun for students to play. It
features a piano part and while it is played with a March feel it is not
a typical march that you might hear, or practice.
5. Title: Held still in quick of grace
Composer: Jack Stamp
Level: 3
Publisher: Neil A. Kjos Music Company
Year of Publication: 1998
Justification: Held Still is a piece of music that was commissioned for a
band in Plymouth, North Carolina who lost 10 band members due to a
car accident. They had squished 10 students into a car without
enough seatbelts on their way home from having lunch, and crashed
only a few kilometres from their school. How typical is this to high
school students? The message is very strong. The music is based on a
hymn tune, and also a poem. There are many cross-curricular
connections that could be found in this piece of music. The musical
content is challenging in terms of balance, listening, phrasing, and
understanding how the different melodic lines work together.
6. Title: DeerPath Dances
Composer: David Holsinger
Level: 3
Publisher: TRN Music Publisher, Inc.
Year of Publication:
Justification: The most challenging aspects of this piece are the
rhythmic and tempo challenges. Changing from 4/4, to 3/4 to 6/8, to
7/8, to 2/8, to 2/4 really forces each student to be very individually
rhythmically solid.
7. Title: First Suite in Eb
Composer: Gustav Holst
Level: 4
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
Year of Publication: 1909 (original) 1948 & 1984
Justification: Introduces students to a work with multiple movements.
This piece of music is instrumental music history. There are many
different factors about music that can be taught through this piece of
music such as; history, phrasing, dynamics, form, listening, balance &
blend, and style. The theme that is established in movement one is
developed in various ways in the next two movements in many

different variations. This creates a great teaching opportunity to

challenge students to do the same with their own writing.

8. Title: Salvation is Created

Composer: Tchesnokov/Arr. Houseknecht
Level: 3
Publisher: Neil A. Kjos Music Company
Year of Publication: 2002
Justification: This is a chorale that allows for both vertical and
horizontal music making. There are many interesting and challenging
chords for students to balance, and also the challenge of playing a
chorale with interesting dynamics and proper phrasing.
9. Title: Shenandoah
Composer: Frank Ticheli
Level: 3
Publisher: Manhattan Beach Music
Year of Publication: 1999 2000
Justification: Shenandoah is a lyrical piece that is based around a very
familiar folk tune. I would choose to have this piece of music on my
top ten list because of the chamber music sections written. It is
interesting and exciting to see and play chamber music written within
band literature, and this piece is an extremely good example of that.
There is SO much listening that needs to take place, and every
member of the ensemble needs to know exactly what other lines are
doing in order to be successful.

10.Title: Threnody
Composer: R. Murray Schaffer
Level: Young Band.
Publisher: Arcana Editions Contact information for R. Murray Schaffer
is found on this website:
http://www.composers21.com/compdocs/schaferm.htm
Year of Publication: 1966
Justification: A controversial, 21st century piece of music that involves
the entire performing arts department at a high school. Af band, a
choir, a technology crew, and 5 dramatic speakers. It may not be
appropriate for all communities as the content is quite descriptive, and
I would not program this piece often, but it one of my favourites. A
powerful message brought to peoples attention through this piece of
music!