A classic brass band medley
Among the sheet music arranged for wind band, there are many medley pieces available, including Disney, Studio Ghibli, and more.
Because these medleys are made up of popular tunes, they really liven up casual stages like regular concerts.
However, you might also feel, “There are so many medleys that it’s hard to choose which one to play!”
So in this article, we’ll introduce a roundup of popular and classic medley pieces.
Find your favorites and be sure to perform them!
- Perfect for free selections and concert programs! Introducing famous and classic favorites in wind ensemble music.
- A Collection of Pop Hits for Wind Band: From Classics to Popular Medleys
- [Wind Band] Guaranteed to hype up the school festival! Recommended pieces the brass band will want to play
- [History] A roundup of popular set pieces from the All-Japan Band Competition
- Songs with cool trumpet. Introducing famous pieces from wind ensemble and jazz.
- [Brass/Wind Band] Recommended for Beginners! A Collection of Classics and Popular Pieces Perfect for Practice
- A collection of video game music I want to perform in a wind ensemble
- [Ghibli’s Famous Songs Medley] The soothing world of Studio Ghibli that resonates with the heart
- A medley of crowd-pleasing classics. Iconic Japanese songs and recommended popular tracks.
- Recommended pieces for a wind band contest
- [March] A curated selection of classic marches and dazzling crowd-pleasers for concerts!
- A popular Disney medley. A moving story filled with love and dreams.
- A popular anime song medley. Classic and popular anime songs.
Standard Wind Ensemble Medley (11–20)
Mambo MedleyMorimura Ken
“Mambo” is a type of Latin music: a Cuban musical form and a dance style.
It developed from Cuban rumba and incorporated elements of jazz.
This “Mambo Medley” is characterized by cheerful, tropical rhythms and melodies.
Along with distinctive percussion, the overall tempo is fast, making it a surefire crowd-pleaser! There’s even a moment in the middle where everyone shouts “Tequila!”—it’s a piece that performers will enjoy just as much as the audience.
“Nodame Cantabile” Collection ~ Hooked on Classics ~Kojima Satomi
Nodame Cantabile is a Japanese manga themed around classical music, written by Tomoko Ninomiya.
It’s a popular work that has also been adapted into a TV drama, TV anime, and live-action films! The opening clarinet solo is so cool.
It includes many pieces that everyone has probably heard at least once, such as Jupiter, the fourth movement of The Planets by Holst, and Sabre Dance from Aram Khachaturian’s ballet music.
It’s arranged as a medley that could serve as a gateway to classical music!
Beauty and the BeastCalvin Custer
The animated film Beauty and the Beast is based on a French folktale and was released as an animated feature in the United States in 1991.
It became the first animated film in history to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
It also made headlines when a live-action adaptation starring Emma Watson was released in 2017.
This medley makes abundant use of songs from the film, including Beauty and the Beast, Gaston, and Something There.
The high woodwinds and glockenspiel harmonies in the first piece, Belle (Bonjour), are beautiful, aren’t they?
Highlights from FrozenSean O’Loughlin
This is a medley from Disney’s hugely popular 2013 film Frozen.
Both the film and its songs have been highly acclaimed, with the movie winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and the song winning Best Original Song at the 86th Academy Awards.
Of course, it includes fan favorites from the film such as Do You Want to Build a Snowman? and Let It Go.
A notable feature is that the melody is also carried in the mid-to-lower registers.
Let’s enjoy performing it just as we are!
Japanese Graffiti XIVMiura Hideaki
It goes over well at concerts because it includes many songs everyone knows.
The rhythm and groove are great, so it might be a classic medley that’s perfect for performances and concerts.
Even when played by a wind ensemble, there are many songs so famous that they instantly bring the originals to mind.
Anime Medley: The Works of Joe HisaishiMorita Kazuhiro
From the opening piece, the performance’s slightly wistful atmosphere creates a grand sense of scale that makes it feel like more than just an anime—it’s as if it brings the story back to life.
I love this kind of medley, too.
Both adults and children can’t help but be drawn in.
I want to perform it again.
Standard Wind Band Medley (21–30)
Symphonic Fantasy for Wind Ensemble: Howl’s Moving CastleGotō Hiroshi
This is a medley arranged into a symphonic fantasy based on Howl’s Moving Castle, one of Studio Ghibli’s most popular films.
Released in 2004, the movie also became famous for featuring Takuya Kimura as the voice of the wizard Howl.
Although it is a medley, its distinctive feature is that it focuses on a single film.
Throughout, it captures the movie’s mysterious, elusive atmosphere, and as you listen, it evokes a vivid sense of being transported into its scenes.