Concert Band - Level 1 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.998359

Composed by Aaron Fonzi. Christmas,Contemporary,Folk,Standards. Score and parts. 25 pages. Aaron Fonzi #4834971. Published by Aaron Fonzi (A0.998359).

     This lyrical piece is a delightful way to introduce your young band to ballad style. Exploring slurs, accents, dynamics, caesuras, ritardandos and more, you'll be shocked by how sophisticated this beautiful piece sounds while using only a limited number of notes. 


     Written to convey the playful innocence of a child dreaming, In Your Slumber balances the calm of a starry sky with the imagination and adventure of a child's mind at rest. Simple and elegant, the lullaby played by the flutes in the beginning gives way to an imaginative variation on the theme by the trumpets and clarinets at B. Gentle, pulsating tenutos in the harmonizing chords underneath are symbolic of relaxed, rhythmic breathing underlying the musical thoughts flowing by above them. Just as in dreams we seldom have control of which direction the story may go, D takes us somewhere else musically and implies a build to a false climax. At E, we are greeted with the quiet sounds of the night once more, but this time our imagination runs wild as the music builds to the climax of the piece at F. This powerful proclamation of the melody is concluded with a gentle final statement in the flute and clarinet, and the piece concludes with the final twinkle of the stars as the sun rises for a new day.

Full of imagination, beauty and teachable moments throughout, I hope that you and your students can enjoy and appreciate this piece for it's simple beauty as I do. Onward!

~Aaron Fonzi

REHEARSAL NOTES:


1. The clarinet part should be a very light drone creating atmosphere at the beginning- the same goes for the clarinet and saxophone at rehearsal E.

2. It's easy to get too loud too soon in this piece, so remind your students to have patience. F is the climax of the piece, but many young students will want to play C as if it is. Similarly, be sure to balance the trumpet/ clarinet and the flute/ oboe/ bells at C so both lines come out evenly.

3. Take your time in measure 48- we want to naturally fade away and pause before going on at rehearsal E. This increase and decrease in energy is a characterization of the ebb and flow of the piece.

4. At F, there are 3 important parts that must be balanced: flute/oboe/bells; trumpet/clarinet; alto saxophone/horn. For best results, balance these 3 parts, and encourage the alto/horn line to play out a bit more than they think they need to. They are the new part which must be heard here.

5. Have fun and use your imagination in terms of expressing the music- ask your students what it makes them think of and create a story to go along with it. Let this ultimately guide your interpretation. I am consistently impressed with the creative ideas my students come up with, so let them decide how the music should sound with their own stories. In your slumber, anything is possible!