Concert Band
Bubbelah (Baby Elephant) (2024)
Grade 2.5 1' 25"
This piece serves as a gentle introduction to the concept of Swing. The melody is singable, the structure simple ternary, while the little-bit-heavy (it's a baby) on-the-beat plod of the core Bass instruments provides a solid metric framework for the remaining parts to safely explore the playful swing feel.
Music Box March (2024)
Grade 3 1' 10"
The music-box 'ballerina' theme opens modestly in the Glockenspiel and low Flute, with Clarinets in Alberti-bass style support. Once concluded, it is immediately re-presented by the full ensemble, with Snare Drum keeping stout time. The mood then becomes more pensive as the tonality shifts to the tonic minor. For the final statement, the major key returns as the military take-over of the theme is complete, with a rousing, emphatic finish.
Everybody (2024)
Grade 3 2' 30''
This decisively Swing piece started out as a song, as may be evident from the Verse-Chorus structure. Also, as perhaps may be evident from the title, I've tried to ensure each part has at least one moment in the sun, with a melodic turn here or there, or perhaps a textural element. This hopefully also serves to keep the listener engaged!
Best Friend (2026)
Grade 3 2' 22''
This piece is based on a song written for a friend's birthday, with the familiar verse/chorus/bridge components. The ii7 opening chord of the verse gives it a preparatory feel, and even the chorus reaches the tonic decisively only at its end, to immediately commence the second verse.
The bridge here, "Carousel", provides some calm, like a distant childhood memory, giving way to the more impetuous dotted/swing rhythms as the melodic line hastens forward. Undidactic, it has to my mind some of the many qualities of a true friend: fresh, companionable, energising.