MS Band Director

For music educators - By music educators

Best Grade 3 Concert Band Pieces

Directors,
This is a collaborative list and is generated by the membership of MSBandDirector.com. As with all of the lists, please fill in the blanks as you see fit. Email me with details and please provide your top 10 picks for what you believe to be the finest Grade 3 literature ever written for concert band. You may change your list as you discover new literature, however this is what you stand for as a band director and all of us can collaborate and redefine the meaning of quality literature through this project. For more details you may read the descriptions of the graded lists.

Click here for the list

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bill Henley on December 10, 2008 at 7:05pm

Three Ayres of Gloucester by Hugh Stuart is a fine piece not on the list.

In my opinion, American Riversongs by La Plante, Chant and Jubilo by McBeth, and Resting in the Peace of His Hands by Gibson are on a different level than pieces like Air for Band and Balladair by Erickson. All are grade 4 on the Florida List.

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Permalink Reply by Travis Henry on December 31, 2008 at 12:05pm

Members,

I have thought of some other selections that are great selections for Grade 3:

Fanfare, Ode and Festival - Margolis
Polly Oliver - Root (this may be a grade 4 on the FBA list, but still a great work)

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Permalink Reply by Russ Weaver on December 31, 2008 at 2:38pm

I will update the list on Friday. Thanks for the input.

Travis Henry said:

Members,

I have thought of some other selections that are great selections for Grade 3:

Fanfare, Ode and Festival - Margolis
Polly Oliver - Root (this may be a grade 4 on the FBA list, but still a great work)

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Permalink Reply by Russ Weaver on January 3, 2009 at 11:57am

Do you believe the Root should be included on the Grade 3 list?

Margolis was added today and will post next week.

RW

Russ Weaver said:

I will update the list on Friday. Thanks for the input.
Travis Henry said:
Members,

I have thought of some other selections that are great selections for Grade 3: Fanfare, Ode and Festival - Margolis
Polly Oliver - Root (this may be a grade 4 on the FBA list, but still a great work)

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Permalink Reply by Dawane Ledbetter on January 14, 2009 at 11:53am

Grade 3

Yorkshire Ballad-James Barnes
Three Ayres from Gloucester- Hugh M. Stuart
Cumberland Cross-Carl Strommen
Air For Band- Frank Erickson
Die Miestersinger (exerpts)- Handel/Osterling
An Occasional Suite-Handel/Osterling

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Permalink Reply by Russ Weaver on January 14, 2009 at 7:02pm

The list will be updated with your votes this weekend. Thanks for submitting. Remember you have 4 submissions remaining in this category.

RW

Dawane Ledbetter said:

Grade 3
Yorkshire Ballad-James Barnes Three Ayres from Gloucester- Hugh M. Stuart Cumberland Cross-Carl Strommen Air For Band- Frank Erickson Die Miestersinger (exerpts)- Handel/Osterling
An Occasional Suite-Handel/Osterling

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Permalink Reply by David Laniewski on February 3, 2009 at 1:45pm

Northstar Overture by John O'Reilly--grade 3

Wonderful, fun piece great for introducing concepts in 3/8 and 5/8 time. Piece is musically conversational with ideas stated and responded to back and forth between sections and combinations of sections. The middle section has long flowing phrases that require shaping and breath control. Well worth working on and the student will enjoy it.

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Permalink Reply by JT Houser on April 28, 2010 at 9:35am

Canonic Fantasy - Bill Calhoun- Carl Fisher Music
Reverberations- Brian Balmages- FJH
Magic Valley- Scott Watson

My students loved all 3 of these!!