We did it last year with a CC Varsity. Loved it! The horn part is challenging and the transitions are difficult. There are elements of it that are more Grade 4 than 3.

Any tips or warnings? Start working on the WW technique at the end early in your preparations. That lick is hard. While teaching my students how to drill it properly I used to demonstrate it on my oboe. I actually had to practice it a bit before I could play it in front of them. It just doesn't lay well. That was probably the hardest thing in the whole piece.

I think the horn stuff is really hard too. It's high and sustained for long periods of time.

LOVED playing this piece though. 10/10 I'd do it again. And yes, get the real darbukas. They're cheap. We sat one darbuka player on either side of the first row so that they were really close to the conductor. It helped with timing a lot.