As Old and True as the Sky (Band Gr. 4)

Composed for the Greenbrier High School “Wolfpack” Band (Evans, GA), As Old and True as the Sky follows a community’s meaningful journey through conflict, devotion, and unity. Three distinct themes evolve and intertwine to create moments of intensity and beauty, ultimately coalescing in a powerful and uplifting conclusion.

Genre: Band | # of Players: Standard
Series: Ruby Band Series
Level: 4 | Duration: 7:15

Instrumentation
Conductor's Score (11"x17")

Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Clarinet 1
B-flat Clarinet 2
B-flat Clarinet 3
Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1
Alto Saxophone 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

B-flat Trumpet 1
B-flat Trumpet 2
B-flat Trumpet 3
F Horn 1
F Horn 2
Trombone
Euphonium
B-flat Baritone T.C.
Tuba

Timpani [4 drums], Suspended Cymbal
Percussion 1: Glockenspiel, Shekere, Hi-Hat, China Cymbal, Crash Cymbals, Triangle
Percussion 2: Vibraphone, Xylophone, Chimes, 2 Floor Toms, Triangle, Mark Tree, Crash Cymbals
Percussion 3: Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Egg Shaker
Percussion 4: Suspended Cymbal, Tam-Tam, Ribbon Crasher
Percussion 5: 4 Concert Toms, Triangle, Ocean Drum

Program Notes
Now this is the Law of the Jungle — as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back — For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
–Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)

After speaking with the fine students of the Greenbrier High School “Wolfpack” Band about who they are, what defines them, and what they find important, I came away with three central concepts:

• Pride in the Wolfpack mascot
• Importance of friendship, community, and collaboration
• Progression – getting better, learning to work together

Some general research on wolves and wolfpack behaviors revealed the following:
• There are three levels of social strata within the wolfpack: Alpha, Beta, and Omega
• Wolves communicate in a number of different ways, including by howling, whining, and barking
• Wolves are very devoted, they take care of one another