Sway (2022) [rev. may 2026]
for concert band
Duration: approx. 5'
Difficulty: Moderately easy (Grade 3-4)
Premiere: not sure!
Four different bands bought the music in 2025-2026 but I don't know which got to it first.
Instrumentation:
fl. 1 & 2, ob. 1 & 2, bsn. 1, Cl. 1 & 2, Bcl, a sax, t sax, bar sax, trp 1 & 2, hr 1 & 2, trb 1 & 2, b trb, tb, db, perc (4): timp, glock, vibr, mar, tamb, trgl, cymb, cabasa (opt shaker), c drm, s cymb
ERRATA NOTE:
If you bought Sway before June of 2026, note that in measure 28, the clarinet's last note should be Do (C) natural, not sharp.
PROGRAM NOTES
Sway began life as the second movement of my Incidentally Music for flute, clarinet, guitar, violin and cello, premiered in 2010. That piece was an exploration of dance forms or dance-like forms of Latin heritage.
During the early spring of 2022, it occurred to me out of nowhere that it would translate well to concert band, allowing me to explore coloristic possibilities and add some rhythmic variation to the main melody.