List your top five songs that you`ve ever played, along with their composer, what ensemble you played it in, and any other info that you`d like to share. Please put down songs that you`ve played in an ensemble like middle school band, high school concert band, jazz band, small ensembles, pep band, etc.

Leave some comments about the pieces!

1) Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. I played this piece in my high school symphonic band, and this year in my college`s Symphonic band. A wonderful piece. The more movements played, the better! Somewhat challenging.

2) Incantation and Dance by John Barnes Chance. (I can`t get my prof`s Australian accent out of my head, lol) Anyway, I played this my senior year in HS Symphonic band. A challenging piece, but sounds amazing!

3) Loch Lomond by Frank Ticheli. Everytime I think of this song, I remember how moving it was. I played this at the Dorian music camp at Luther College with the concert band.

4) The Great Locomotive Chase by Robert W. Smith. I played this my freshman year in concert band, and my senior year as a guest with the hs concert band. Truly replicates a train. The saxophones enjoy a wonderful crusing melody, while a lucky percussionist gets to pound away on the chimes imitating the bells and gates.

5) Symphony #1 from The Lord of the Rings: Gandalf by Johan de Meij. This song is so wonderful. I played it my junior year in symphonic band. An amazing piece. Challenging, but extremely moving. I loved this song so much that when I stumbled upon a CD of it in Borders for $16 I bought it. Excellent, excellent song.

- Folk Dances, by Dmitri Shostakovich

- A Movement for Rosa, by Mark Camphouse

- Lincolnshire Posy, by Percy Aldridge Grainger

- Rejouissance, by James Curnow

- Incantation and Dance, by John Barnes Chance

I played all of these at summer band camp. The last one (which I also think is a great piece) I played last summer, and the first four I played 2 years ago.

I would also say that even though I haven`t played it, "An American Elegy", by Frank Ticheli is by far my most favourite concert band piece. It is the kind of piece that will make people cry, it is so beautiful.