It’s probably the most famous use of cannon, as well.
Nah, 1812 Overture.
There’s a great piece by Aaron Copland that has a clarinet/saxophone duet in it. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the title at all. It’s definitely not “Fanfare for the Common Man,” but it might be “Hoedown” from “Rodeo.” I played that into the ground in high school, and now I can’t remember the title at all.
Also Copland, the clarinet solo from “Variations on a Shaker Melody” from “Appalachian Spring” is very well known as “Simple Gifts.”
Sleigh Ride, my least favorite Christmas song ever, has a very distinctive clarinet part. The horse whinny in it is actually a trumpet.
Every time I’ve played “Tiger Rag,” it’s been a trombone feature. Other arrangements don’t agree with that.
Could the clarinet-saxophone duet be the waltz “Billy and His Sweetheart” from Copland’s Billy the Kid?
By the way - if they have TubaChristmas in your area (Hell?) I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend that you urge your students to attend in the audience.
They’ll learn more than they want to know about the different “tuba family” instruments and see one heck of an awesome Christmas show.
I don’t think so. I remember the director telling me and the saxophonist (who was a guy), to imagine ourselves as two pretty señoritas while we were playing it. I really think it was “Hoedown,” and it’s possible that the saxophone part was originally for a different instrument, though we were playing it for Large Group Contest. That makes it less likely that the original instrument was swapped out for the sax.
Saxaphone: Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
Another great saxophone piece is the main theme music for Catch Me If You Can. Alto sax, specifically. It is, appropriately, called “Catch Me If You Can.”
The concert band arrangement of “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral” from “Lohengrin” has a beautiful contrabass clarinet part in it.
But you have to admit, it’s an inspired choice. “Smokey, you know what this song’s missing? A Bassoon.”
There’s a classic xylophone part in the overture of Porgy and Bess.
The finale of Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony has a tremendous cymbal part.
The French Horn (or Mellophone, for that matter) can play in the range of a trumpet, but generally does not (they’re a fifth apart - B♭ vs. F and mostly play in the same range relative to their key).
The French Horn does play in the highest range relative to its fundamental, a consequence of it’s rather long length. Not the Mellophone, though, which is pitched an octave higher and is thereby shorter and lighter.
In addition to using a cornet mouthpiece, the mellophone is also bored somewhat differently (similar to a trumpet vs. cornet).
There are also such things as Marching French Horns, which are a bit bigger and I think have closer to a Horn bore but I’m not sure why they make them. And not all Mellophones are marching/bugle style, either. I’m not sure why they make either of those instruments, I suppose.
And I’m not going to even mention the Frumpet.
If you are doing multiple pieces for each instrument, it might be good to showcase solo vs. in groups.
The best example of grouped French Horns:
Nocturne from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Mendelssohn.
There’s also good movie French Horn music :
Star Wars ( most famously “Binary Sunset” but also “Luke and Leia” and Leia’s theme) for solo horn.
For grouped horns :Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves.
Also the Star Trek theme (the Jerry Goldsmith one used in the movies), for showing the interplay of French horns and trumpets.
Another pop song would be the Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
For flute, how about the Badinerie (the last movement) from Suite No. 2 in B minor by J.S. Bach (BWV 1067). It’s short, well-known and easy to relate to. It’s the second track here (for some reason it lists the first and second track the same - the first is the Polonaise and the second is the Badinerie).
For trombone you might consider Ory’s Creole Trombone, which you can find here (play track 9 - the second version listed - as track 1 was originally recorded in 1922 and sounds pretty bad).
If you want to hear French horns versus trumpets, the title music from 633 Squadron will do nicely - the horns state the opening theme and are answered by the trumpet. Interestingly, the trumpets are playing in a key they don’t like, as if you have a good ear you can hear that they are appreciably out of tune.