Grade 2 to 2.5 Concert Band Compositions
Band-o-Rama March
Band-o-rama is a wonderful march designed for combined performance of beginning, intermediate and high school bands. The composition is available in two versions; one for high school band and one with parts for both elementary and intermediate bands. Each publication is designed so it can be performed separately but when you put them together for a mass band concert, it will bring the house down.
Bardic Air and Reel
Sound larger than life with this brilliantly scored overture for developing band. Beautifully expressive playing with ample opportunity to teach grace-notes and traditional “snaps”, Larry has crafted an accessible work for young band that is reminiscent of great band works of the past. Your students will ask to play this one over and over!
Buckeye Rondo
Buckeye Rondo was commissioned by the Ohio State University for their annual middle school honor band festival. Composer Larry Clark used this opportunity to write a piece in a rondo form, but with some modern twists. The main theme is very catchy, and is used in various harmonic treatments and style. The episodes of the rondo as is common, increase in length and diversity as the piece develops. What a great way to introduce this form to young bands, and on
A Child of the Sun
Dedicated to his sons and based on a quote by Frank Lloyd Wright, Larry brings us a stunningly beautiful work in “A Child of the Sun.” Nothing is quite as special as a Father’s pride and hope for their children’s future, and from this moving work, you can tell that Larry has both.
Cold Mountain Saga
Cold Mountain in North Carolina was recently made famous by the best selling novel and major motion picture of the same name. This piece for young band is not intended to depict the story of the book or movie, but rather to depict the rich history and natural beauty of the area itself. The hauntly beautiful melody first stated by a recorder is one of the most memorable Larry has every written.
Cold Mountain Saga (Flex)
Cold Mountain in North Carolina was made famous by the best selling novel and major motion picture of the same name. This piece for young band is not intended to depict the story of the book or movie, but rather to depict the rich history and natural beauty of the area itself. The hauntingly beautiful melody first stated by a recorder is one of the most memorable Larry has ever written. This piece has become a standard for young band and now is available in a flexible setting for the first time.
Convergence
Put your young players on the winning track with this impressive concert work! Large enough in scope to stand up in any contest, "Convergence" builds two separate themes which combine in an immediately appealing way. Right from the opening fanfare, the sheer energy will have your audience riveted to their seats, and you'll be amazed at how strong your band will sound. This piece, with its "in your face" power has what it takes to bring out the best in any ensemble!
Crystal Moon
If you need a piece to showcase your band, look no further. This galloping original work lets your band show off their articulation skills as it trots along in a playful way. Effective staccati and a bright tempo open into a glorious maestoso before bounding to the end.
Dance of the Harlequins
Dance of the Harlequins is a dance-like composition that uses the harmonic progression of the famous Pachelbel Canon as its basis. Depicting the painted, jerky harlequin clown, it is at times playful, and others, simply beautiful. The familiarity of the famous bass line makes this work feel comfortable and pleasurably original at the same time, and your groups will love the new spin on the Pachelbel Canon.
Digital Prisms
This cutting-edge piece by Larry Clark is a dynamic, colorful and descriptive work that is easy for younger generations to relate to. It begins with a spritely fanfare based on the perfect fourth and perfect fifth familiar from many television technology commercials, There are numerous bold contrasts of style and instrumentation in this brilliantly scored work that give it terrific audience appeal.
Digital Prisms (Flex)
This popular Larry Clark piece has been rescored for flexible instrumentation. Digital Prisms is a musical statement about technology and is cast in a standard overture form. The piece appears on many contest/festival required music lists and is now playable by bands with instrumentation deficiencies.
Dream Engine
Dream Engine is a concert overture in classic ABA form. Opening with a tuneful melody that weaves throughout the ensemble over staccato accompaniments, the piece then evolves into a contrastingly lyrical and beautifully lush B section. As with the rest of Clark's work, Dream Engine blends musicality with teachability and is perfect for your next contest or festival.
Envisage
Envisage brings across the contemplative feeling of a journey, drawing the performer and listener toward an inevitable outcome. The piece is written in a standard overture form with a strident A section contrasted by a gorgeous B section which shifts to a major key. To finish it up, the A section returns and ends with a dramatic coda.
Equinox
Equinox is a tour-de-force for the young band and can serve as the culmination of study at the end of The Yamaha Advantage Band Method book 2 or any band method book 2. It is a contest piece with driving rhythms, bold fanfare gestures, lyrical lines and climatic moments that will help to show off your band to their best abilities.
Founders March
Founders Marchis a dynamic and tuneful traditional march in standard form. Composer Larry Clark has years of experience composing and arranging marches that have been widely popular, and this one will be no exception. Reminiscent of the “fast and fun” marches of famous march composer Henry Fillmore, Founders Marchwill be perfect for use at festival or in concert.
Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy is defined as the energy of constant motion. Larry Clark represents this idea with a near constant 8th-note pulse throughout his supercharged piece. Though the piece ends in B flat major, the main idea is in the Lydian mode on E flat. Kinetic Energy is Clark at his most incisive and the scoring is apt and colorful.
The Legend of Taum Sauk
A strong new concert/contest piece written to depict the legend of Taum Sauk mountain in central Missouri. It is a classic Romeo and Juliet saga that involves two different tribes of Native Americans. Larry Clark works to bring out the drama of this story through his music. It is at first fast-paced and pulsing, with a 6/8 groove followed by a love song built on the same musical material, then leading back to the uptempo music for a conclusion. A solid work for young band that can introduce 6/8 time and has cross-curricular possibilities.
Live On
Taking its title from a poem about grief and loss by Chrissie Pinney, Live On honors the life of band director Linda Mann, to whom the piece is dedicated. The piece begins with a pensive intro before shifting to a whimsical theme that brings about happy thoughts of a life well-lived. After a return to the poignant opening material, the music surges to a triumphant conclusion based on an augmented version of the whimsical theme.
Meet the Band
Meet the Band is intended to be used as a recruitment piece at a recruitment concert. It introduces young students to all of the instruments and sections of the band. The narrator "Sam the Snare Drum" takes the students on a musical journey through the instrument of the band. Many of the instrumental themes will be familiar to the students from their use in the Yamaha Advantage Recorder Plus method. Each section and then the whole band get a chance to shine in this excellent recruitment tool.
Mustangs - The Spirit of the West
This piece was written by composer Larry Clark to depict the majesty of mustang horses that roam free in the American West. It is cast in a standard overture form with an opening section reminiscent of the music of western movie soundtracks. Followed by a lush and beautiful contrasting slow section, Mustangs – The Spirit of the West depicts the grace and power of these wonderful animals. This is a great choice for contest and festival performance for the young band.
Pieces of Eight
Written as a commission for the Georgia District 10 Honor Band, Larry Clark has drawn on the history of the coast of Georgia where the pirate Blackbeard was thought to have stashed his treasure. He has written an intriguing concert overture for young bands with this flavor. Not only will your students love it, but there are many musical opportunities for teaching as well.
Quintus
Already an established hit with orchestra directors, this superior composition is a welcome addition to the concert band repertoire! The piece is built on a few simple but very effective musical ideas, and infused with extraordinary energy and excitement. As the title suggests, the open-fifth harmony plays an essential and powerful role. There is a modal character to the work, and a delightful lyricism, especially in the middle section. This will be the highlight of your concert or festival performance! Very highly recommended!
The Royal Irish Regiment
The Royal Irish Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British army. This march was therefore meant to be in the style of a classic British style march. The march is set to emulate the passing by of the regiment as it marches in a parade. It starts with a tuneful fife-sounding melody in the flute or piccolo over the sound of bagpipes. The march then developes featuring all of the sections of the band in this colorful regal type march. Use it as a different type of march at your next contest or festival performance.
Sleep, My Child
A stunning and heart-wrenching composition based on the Jewish folk song Shlof, Mayn Kind. You can hear the emotional content pour out of this piece written in memory of an outstanding orchestra director. The piece beginnings with original material to set the tone, followed by a clarinet solo on the song. It then develops through a variety of different harmonic presentation before building to a nice key change and climatic moment. The piece ends as it began, but with a more hopeful tone. An amazing piece.
Sonic Radiance
Radiance perfectly describes veteran composer Larry Clark’s powerful new work for concert band. An excellent choice for festival or contest, Sonic Radiance is a bright and melodic piece. With many opportunities to teach form and structure and a wonderfully expressive lyrical section that will push your ensemble’s musicianship, this piece has it all!
Spirit of an Eagle
This piece is meant to depict the majestic beauty and soaring flight of the eagle. Wrought in standard overture form, the main theme is brisk and angular, while the slower lyrical melody is stately and flowing. It will show off the developing musicianship of each young band member. Larry Clark knows exactly how to make a young group sound its best.
Spirit of an Eagle (Flex)
This is one of Larry Clark's most successful and performed pieces. It is a standard overture with a glorious slower B section, and is already on the required music lists for many states (including Texas and Florida). Now it can be performed by a band with instrumentation problems in this new flexible scoring edition. As few as five players and percussion can perform a full-sounding version of this wonderful work. To prove it, we recorded an excerpted version of the piece where we did just that.
Swords of Evolution
"In your face" aggressive playing is the design of this piece. Strong rhythms and harmonies, plus the robust percussion section will make this a student favorite. The contrast in style and tempo will make it an effective contest or festival piece.
Thunder Chase
Thunder Chase takes you on a wild ride along with the famous storm chasers who risk their lives to better understand how major storms work and ultimately save lives. The piece is a high-energy musical chase your students will love to play again and again. Every section plays a key role in this exciting new work for young bands.
Triumph of the Vikings
The main thematic material is derived from two melodic intervals, the perfect fourth and the tritone. Welcome this superb contemporary experience that is just traditional enough to please the ears of any audience while giving your musicians an adventure into harmonic structuring that moves into the Twenty-first Century. The balance between the sharply focused fast section and the lyrical center segment is wonderfully well-crafted. A power-packed setting!
Whispers
Whispers is a lyrical composition that will be a perfect vehicle to teach musicianship, elegant phrasing, balance, blend and beauty of tone. Beautiful melodies are given numerous orchestrational and harmonic treatments to create a musical journey that will be pleasing to performers and audiences.
Zodiac
The mystical nature of the zodiac is explored in sound by composer Larry Clark. This is a tour-de-force for young bands from a composer that continues to provide substantial musical moments that are throughly enjoyed by younger students.