Gallop!

Gallop!

by James Khoury

Grade 2
Duration: 2:30

​Gallop! is an original, programmatic composition for concert band. Written for middle school/early high school ensembles, Gallop! takes young musicians on an upbeat, lively journey as if the performance ensemble is riding together on horseback. Engaging percussion parts, like ostinato snare drum and slapstick, begin the concert band's "ride", soon followed by the fanfare of trumpets announcing a heroic theme. The ensemble's steady "gallop" soon transitions into a lyrical interlude, as if the concert band has arrived at a scenic overlook, a moment of lyricism and reflection during the ride. The band switches back to our main theme, punctuated by the "neigh" of the horse (m. 24), before developing once again into a lush, romantic melody (m. 29). Our ride picks back up, before settling down for a night's sleep (m. 50), as the orchestra winds down underneath the glimmering moonlight. A triumphant canon (m. 86) signals daybreak, as the orchestra awakens to once again begin our gallant ride. A grand maestoso (m. 109) signals the apex of our climb, before we hear echoes of our moonlight theme (m. 119) and the orchestra takes off, building in speed and energy as the concert band reaches the final, heralding finale (m. 135).

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​Instrumentation
Numbers shown in parentheses are the part counts included in the physical set. When ordering extra parts, be sure to include which parts are needed in the order notes when you check out.