Three Balloons - Wesley Cheang - Score

THREE BALLOONS
Grade 3.5
Pop! This march utilizes bursting balloons as a percussion instrument. The song is a celebration of the
music department at Albert Campbell C.I. as the balloons represent the three enthusiastic music teachers
at the school (Emily Elkouby, Maddie Peterkin and myself). While performing this piece at a local festival,
students drew the faces of their teachers on the balloons! The music contains bars of 3/4, 3/8, phrases
repeated three times, three note motifs and a form with three A sections. See if you can spot all the
threes in the music!
A special thanks to Mark Caswell who spent an amazing day workshopping this music with the Albert
Campbell band. His orchestration suggestions have given the music more clarity and warmth. Three
Balloons was a finalist in the WASBE 2024 International Composition Contest V - Category 1 that took
place in Gwangju, South Korea.
Performance Notes
The measures of 3/8 (bars 8, 16 and 24) can be played with more weight to distinguish them from the
rest of the music. Don’t be afraid to play loud and strong starting at bar 16. This section represents the
boldness of student banter in the band room! At 25, the melody is in the middle range of the band. Let
the parts above and below, as well as percussion, to fill in the gaps of the melody. At 33 you can prepare
for the popping of the first balloon by making the bars of 3/8 progressively quieter and lighter. All of
Campbell's music teachers are parents to young children so the goal at bar 38 is for the music to sound
like a lullaby. This section describes the challenge of juggling parenthood and the running of a busy
music department! The music starts to cycle through different keys at bar 60. Build energy towards 66
which should be performed strongly. Playing the low woodwind and brass melody at 65 with emphasis
will help you get to the next section with energy. Finally, the coda is the band's last chance to play the
piece out with liveliness!
About the Composer
Instrumentation
Wesley Cheang (b. 1978) is a composer, performer and educator from Toronto, Canada.
He is a graduate of York University's Jazz Performance Program and spent many years
performing with jazz groups in the Toronto area. As a result, his music is as much about
jazz harmony and rhythms as it is about the tradition of concert band music. Wesley is a
high school music teacher in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada and workshops all of his
concert band music with his students.
Flute
Oboe
1st Clarinet in Bb
2nd Clarinet in Bb
3rd Clarinet in Bb
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Alto Saxophone 1
Alto Saxophone 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
1st Trumpet in Bb
2nd Trumpet in Bb
Horn in F
1st Trombone
2nd Trombone
Baritone
Tuba
Bells
Timpani
Percussion (Snare, Bass Drum)
Aux Perc (Crash Cym, Sus Cym/Balloons)
© Wesley Cheang 2023

Flute
Oboe
B♭ Clarinet 1
B♭ Clarinet 2. 3
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Alto Sax 1
Animated ( = 80)
2.
3.
Three Balloons
By Wesley Cheang
Alto Sax 2
Tenor Sax
Bari Sax
B♭ Trumpet 1
B♭ Trumpet 2
Horn in F
Trombone 1, 2
Baritone
Tuba
Bells
Timpani
Snare Drum
Bass Drum
Aux. Percussion
Crash, Sus Cym
/Balloons
1
2
3
Crash Cym.
Tune: F, Bb, C, E
on rim
4
5
6
7
8
a2
© Wesley Cheang 2023

2
Fl.
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
9
16
Assertively!
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
© Wesley Cheang 2023

24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
Aux. Perc.
Snare
Bass
Timp.
Bells
Tba.
Bar.
Tbn. 1, 2
F Hn.
B♭ Tpt. 2
B♭ Tpt. 1
Bar. Sax.
T. Sax.
A. Sax. 2
A. Sax. 1
Bsn.
B♭ B. Cl.
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ Cl. 1
Ob.
Fl.
To Coda
2.
1.
2.
2.
3.
2.
2.
3.
2.
2.
3
© Wesley Cheang 2023

4
Fl.
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
25
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
a2
Bar.
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
25
26
27
28
29
30
© Wesley Cheang 2023

Fl.
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
Tba.
Bells
2.
3.
1.
div.
5
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
31
32
on rim
33
34
35
36
Pop Balloon
37
© Wesley Cheang 2023

6
Fl.
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
38
Like a Lullaby ( = 65)
45
2.
3.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
F. Horn
Play
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
Bar. (div.)
div.
Play
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
Sus Cym.
w/brushes
45
46
© Wesley Cheang 2023

Fl.
7
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
© Wesley Cheang 2023

8
Fl.
60
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
2.
1.
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
56
57
58
w/yarn mallets
59
60
61
© Wesley Cheang 2023

Fl.
66
Intensely
9
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
62
63
64
65
2.
1.
66
© Wesley Cheang 2023

10
Fl.
rit
( = 62)
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
Bar.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
1.
2.
a2
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
67
68
69
70
71
© Wesley Cheang 2023

Fl.
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
Animated ( = 80)
3.
D.S. al Coda
div.
11
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
Play
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
Tba.
1.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
72
73
on rim
74
75
76
77
Pop Balloon
78
© Wesley Cheang 2023

12
Flute
Oboe
B♭ Clarinet 1
B♭ Clarinet 2. 3
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
2.
3.
Alto Sax 1
Alto Sax 2
Tenor Sax
Bari Sax
B♭ Trumpet 1
B♭ Trumpet 2
Horn in F
Trombone 1, 2
Baritone
2.
1.
2.
2.
Tuba
Bells
Timpani
Snare Drum
Bass Drum
Aux. Percussion
Crash, Sus Cym
/Balloons
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
© Wesley Cheang 2023

Fl.
88
13
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
86
87
88
89
90
91
© Wesley Cheang 2023

14
Fl.
96
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
2.
a2
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
92
93
94
95
96
97
© Wesley Cheang 2023

Fl.
15
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
2.
3.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
98
99
100
101
102
© Wesley Cheang 2023

16
Fl.
Ob.
B♭ Cl. 1
B♭ Cl. 2, 3
B♭ B. Cl.
Bsn.
A. Sax. 1
2.
3.
div.
A. Sax. 2
T. Sax.
Bar. Sax.
B♭ Tpt. 1
B♭ Tpt. 2
F Hn.
Tbn. 1, 2
Bar.
1.
Tba.
Bells
Timp.
Snare
Bass
Aux. Perc.
103
on rim
104
105
106
107
Pop Balloon
108
© Wesley Cheang 2023