The Yellow Board

Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by BD on 4/24/2022, 7:52 pm

What are your favorite 4's and 5's to conduct?

Which 4's and 5's are the most playable by younger ensembles?

Re: Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by Most playable on 4/25/2022, 11:50 pm, in reply to "Grade 4's and 5's"

4: Shepherd's Hey - Grainger
Spoon River - Grainger
Chorale & Shaker Dance - Zdechlik
Concord - Grundman
Con Sabor Espanol - Buckley
Longford Legend[All] - Sheldon
English Folk Song Suite (1&2) - RVW

5: Incantation & Dance - Chance (Used to be a Grade 4. Is also the most performed current Grade 5 by MS bands in the history of UIL)
Vesuvius (also used to be a 4, also commonly played by MS varsity groups) - Ticheli
2nd Suite in F [All] - Holst
English Folk Song Suite [All] - RVW
Molly on the Shore - Grainger
Suite Divertimento[All] - Gilbert
Festivo - Gregson
Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann - Jager
Jocuri Poporale Romanesti (Romanian Folk Dances) - Bartok/Goto

Re: Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by CC on 4/25/2022, 7:34 pm, in reply to "Grade 4's and 5's"

most playable

Suite Divertimento
Festal Scenes
Ride

Most fun to conduct
Danzon No. 2
Dovrak Sym. No. 8
Lord of the Rings

Re: Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by Hmmm.... on 4/25/2022, 2:52 pm, in reply to "Grade 4's and 5's"

Russian Christmas Music
Suite in E-Flat
Third Suite--Jager
October (work in progress)

These are my favorites to conduct. The Reed and the Jager I did for my master's recital.

Re: Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by Curious on 4/25/2022, 1:31 pm, in reply to "Grade 4's and 5's"

Salvation is Created is my absolute favorite to conduct.

Re: Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by Anon on 4/24/2022, 8:47 pm, in reply to "Grade 4's and 5's"

2nd Suite in F Holst
Chorale and Shaker Dance
Themes from Green Bushes
English Folk Song Suite

Re: Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by Sandhills on 4/25/2022, 10:38 am, in reply to "Re: Grade 4's and 5's"

Be very careful with “Green Bushes”. There are thorns in there.

Re: Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by Curious on 4/26/2022, 9:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Grade 4's and 5's"

Do you mind sharing more?

Re: Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by Not Sandhills on 4/27/2022, 7:25 am, in reply to "Re: Grade 4's and 5's"

This is mostly from memory - I don't have the score in front of me.

It's not an easy piece. Lots of timing things to work out with sections that usually sit across the room from each other, and harmonies that are only in one or two parts. It's very polyphonic/polyrhythmic, too - lots of things going on at once that don't line or match up with other parts. At times there are four or five lines occurring simultaneously.

You also have to have absolute boss low reed players - bassoon and bass clarinet especially. It's even better if you have a player who can also be on alto clarinet for the piece. That first sixteen measures sets the entire tone for the piece. Plus don't forget tuning octaves on the fifth and sixth partials in the brass, which happens a couple times in the piece.

It's achievable - but it very definitely earns its grade 4 and shouldn't be approached lightly.

Re: Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by Sandhills on 4/27/2022, 4:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Grade 4's and 5's"

What he said, lol!

Re: Grade 4's and 5's

Posted by And on 4/25/2022, 10:08 am, in reply to "Re: Grade 4's and 5's"

Lincolnshire Posey- pick the right movements
ditto English Folk Song Suite.

« Back to index