Valley of Shadows

Starting strong with a simple melody and active percussion, this piece about the adventure of walking through a scary forested valley introduces programmatic music to students in a fun and entertaining way. Along the journey, they will encounter a snake represented by a ratchet and contemporary techniques like dissonance, shouting, and clapping. With active percussion and plenty of rhythmic challenges this piece, is appropriate for a 2nd year concert or advanced first year band.

Valor

Vanguard

Vanguard is an energetic piece that shifts between dynamic brass fanfare gestures and sweeping melodic lines. With his experience as a music educator, composer Chris Bernotas consistently provides bands with bold and beautiful compositions that lift the energy of all who play and hear his pieces. Vanguard is the perfect concert opener for your next concert.

Veni, Veni Emmanuel

Already one of the most popular choral settings in the Carl Fischer Music catalog, Michael John Trotta's setting of Veni, Veni Emmanuel has now been skillfully transcribed by James Meredith for band. Trotta's setting of this seminal carol juxtaposes the old and new together in a refreshingly different approach to the song. The piece can work with band alone or with the popular choral setting. It is sophisticated enough for high school groups to put together quickly and can also work well with middle school groups.

Venture

Venture is an exciting overture-style composition for concert band. A venture is an undertaking involving uncertainty and the possibility of risk or danger. The music reflects this definition and has many of the qualities of great film music. Powerful when needed and sensitive at times to provide contrast, the cumulative result is a dramatic addition to concert band literature. One of Sean O'Loughlin's best to date!

Victory and Celebration

Vires, Artes, Mores

This work is a three-part composition based on the Latin words meaning Strength, Skill, and Character. The piece opens with a poignant fanfare depicting the strength of the modern concert band, which is followed by a fast-paced section, meant to demonstrate the performers' skills. The third section of the work is an uplifting theme designed to depict character. After moving back to the skill theme in a new key, it builds to a dramatic climax, followed by a short coda that bursts to the finish. Ideal for concert or contest.

Virgo

Virgo is a lush and dramatic piece for concert band that reflects upon lost loved ones. In the case of the composer, the piece is in remembrance of his late brother whose astrological sign was Virgo. It is an emotional harmonic journey with well-placed dissonance tied together by a memorable motive. Musically, this piece is beautiful, emotive, and will stretch your young musicians to strive for musical elegance.

Visigoths

This tone poem, suggested by the 4th Century struggle of the Visigoths within the Roman Empire, contrasts the slow opening four-note motive in the low brass, with quicker more rhythmic material depicting the battles of the tribe with the Roman legions. From these elements, Sean O'Loughlin has crafted an exciting and sonorous piece that will show off the capabilities of a developing young band to great effect. A large percussion section is used with great skill to energize this serious concert work.

Voices of the World - Bill Calhoun