Under The Double Eagle - Josef Wagner

Josef Franz Wagner (1856-1908) was a military bandmaster and composer known as the "Austrian March King." He wrote "Under the Double Eagle," his most popular and enduring composition, in 1902 It later became the official march of the 1st Austrian Artillery Regiment Number 2. The title refers to the double eagle in the coat of arms of the Austro-Hungarian double monarchy. America's own "March King," John Philip Sousa, liked the piece enough to record it three times with his own band.

Unease - Nick Costanza

Unforgotten Friends

Unforgotten Friends is a three-movement work for wind ensemble celebrating the human spirit and that which causes people to respond to adversity with acts of bravery, selflessness, compassion and generosity. It is a magnum opus for composer Sean O'Loughlin.

Unicorn Ranch

Full of interesting rhythmic patterns that evoke a horse-like "galloping" feel, this gently dissonant composition is a great way to work on ensemble blend and listening skills. Written at one tempo throughout, it's an easy way to introduce the concept of syncopation while also developing cut-time playing skills. Perfect as a challenging contest, festival or concert selection for younger bands or a lighter selection for more advanced groups.

Unleashed

Peter Terry's Unleashedmakes for an impressive concert opener that is the musical equivalent of unleashing a caged animal. The piece is exciting from start to finish, with energetic and bold material that students will love to play. Directors will also love the instrumentation flexibility that this new version offers.

Uprising

Upward Bound

Upward Bound is an exciting musical experience for developing band students, offering many opportunities to practice triplets, rhythms, enharmonic note-reading, and runs that cross the break (clarinet). Written in G minor, the piece creates tension with intentional dissonance, encouraging purposeful listening and careful tuning within the ensemble.

Urban Invasion

Bold and decisive writing characterizes this strong piece from the pen of Sean O'Loughlin. He makes striking and effective use of the low brass and percussion, but the woodwinds are also given a lovely, lyrical idea in the contrasting middle section. The overall effect of Urban Invasion, however, is one of high energy and purpose.

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