Brandon Nelson

IMAGO DEI

Category: Compositions

  • Dushna Pasha (concert band)

    Grade 2 Commissioned for the Negaunee High School Band (Negaunee, MI) by Jacob Schmeltzer, conductor Frederic Baraga was the first bishop of the Diocese of Marquette, in Michigan’s upper peninsula. He had come to northern Michigan as a missionary in 1831, after immigrating from the Austrian Empire — an area of it that is in modern…

  • The Portal of the Mystery of Hope (unaccompanied tenor sax)

    The poetry of Charles Péguy (1873-1914) emerges from a world then deeply embedded in supernatural realities and the hidden activities of grace. France was, excepting a brief period during the First Republic, a country steeped in Catholicism. Nevertheless, Monsieur Péguy’s poems lack any trace of the “other-worldliness” that frequently characterizes religious poetry. For, though he…

  • Jessamine Creek Gorge (concert band)

    I recently finished this grade 2 piece for concert band! Enjoy! Nestled beneath the Kentucky sky, Jessamine Creek Gorge unveils its secrets in whispers of wind through ancient trees. Here, limestone cliffs cradle the creek’s gentle embrace, while sunlight dances upon its rippling surface. A symphony of nature’s finest, where wildflowers paint the forest floor…

  • A Fond Farewell (Concert Band)

    A setting of a favorite hymn-tune “Benediction,” this grade 3 selection is perfect for special tributes, concert closers, or anytime the band performs.

  • A Perspective On The Essential Organizational Principles Of Music And Their Potential Compositional Implications

    Any passage within a piece of music, I think it may be agreed, can be classified in one of four ways: expository, transitional, developmental, or terminal. This represents a basic macrostructural analytic viewpoint. It can be valuable to hear, create, and analyze music on those terms. However, in my view, there are many pieces in…

  • Nikola Tesla: Prophet of the Electronic Age (concert band)

    One of science’s great unsung heroes, Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was aprophet of the electronic age. His research laid much of the groundworkfor modern electrical and communication systems, and his impressiveaccomplishments include development of the alternating-current electricalsystem, radio, the Tesla coil transformer, wireless transmission, andfluorescent lighting. Yet his name and work are not given the levelof…

  • Intrada Americana (concert band)

    Introducing…America! In this rousing opener for concert band, we hear many familiar patriotic songs and folk tunes woven together into a fascinating tableau.

  • The City Built on the Shining Hill (concert band)

    I was born, raised, and presently live in, Ishpeming, Michigan (with a few different stops along the way). I suppose most people have warm feelings about their hometown, but I truly think Ishpeming is someplace special. The name Ishpeming comes from the Ojibwe word ishpiming, meaning “above”, “in the air” or “on high,” appropriate given…

  • Ancient Dance Rites (concert band)

    Experience wild, primordial rhythmic drives in this wild ride for concert band reminiscent of engaging ancient dances!

  • For the Heart of Aphrodite (concert band)

    Aphrodite, a goddess within the Greek pantheon, was a being of unparalleled beauty and charm. She was the governess of romantic love and had innumerable suitors. In order to prevent the god of Olympus from destroying each other to earn her hand, Zeus decided that she should marry Hephaestus, the humble blacksmith. The marriage was…