| |
|
|
Jeff Girard and Midwest Sheet Music present
The Wind Band Report
Back to Band Again
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vol. 6, No. 2 July 2018
Want to be added to a particular newsletter category?
|
Hi folks. It's been a while since some of you have seen me or heard from me. In particular I'm sorry I missed all my colleagues out west at the Western/Northwestern CBDNA conference this last March, I chose the most inappropriate time to come down with the flu. I'll make it up to you in two years.
Meanwhile, it has been far, far too long since I was able to compose a new newsletter. Business has taken off tremendously, and I've been responsible for helping to build and develop our new website, so I've had less free time to devote to this. I guess that's a good problem to have. Now that the website is in a good place (seriously, you should take a look it's search capabilities), I can get back to working on wind band materials and news again.
I'm going to do a few newsletters in quick succession here. For those of you new to my newlsetters, this isn't normal - usually I'll just do one every couple of months, so you don't get a clogged inbox of band info. Bear with me for a few fast issues then I'll get back to a regular routine. Hopefully there will be something in one of these newsletters that will be useful to you. |
John Rutter, William Walton, and other
band materials from Bandmusicpdf.net, available through Midwest Sheet Music |
|
I've been waiting for several months to get this news out, now I finally get to. I made contact with Paul Noble several months back, and found out he has written a large number of arrangements for band of what he calls "British Light Music" from a number of serious English composers. He's got folk songs and dances, some classic British marches, a number of Christmas Carol settings, and much more.
In addition to settings of works by Philip Lane, William Walton, and Ralph Vaughn Williams, he is also authorized by Oxford University Press to create arrangements for band of many of the works of John Rutter. Most of these are arranged to be able to work with or without the original choral parts.
It's a pretty extensive catalog, and he's adding to it constantly. I think he's added about 6 more pieces since I first contacted him last Spring. All of his publications can be found on our website, and most have audio links to listen to and sample scores to view. He's been extremely friendly and easy to work with, and I really wanted to make sure people knew about his catalog before the school year kicked off.
To order any of these works, just call, email, or order them directly from our website. You will receive a printed set of parts and bound score. If you want a quick reference sheet of his works, you can download an Excel sheet of the full Paul Noble catalog here. It includes audio links and details. You can also find all of these works on our web site. Here's a few of his works that I think are particularly notable.
Click image to listen or to see a detailed listing
|
|
|
|
Crown Imperial
William Walton
I and numerous directors have been waiting a long, long time for a full score version of this march to come out. Finally we have one, authorized by the Walton estate. It also includes the organ part that has been missing from other published editions of this work. I
n addition, Paul Noble has also created a full score edition of the Orb and Scepter march, another Walton classic that has been out of print for a while now. There are several other Walton works in the catalog as well, including an arrangement for band of 8 movements from Facade that can be done with or without the Reciter.
Grade 5
Set: $150; Large score: $30
|
Prelude and Fugue (Spitfire)
William Walton
The music for "Prelude and Fugue (The Spitfire)" was written to accompany the film, "The First of the Few", the story of the designer of the Spitfire fighter aircraft. The Prelude is a processional style march music heard over the opening credit titles in the movie. The Fugue is used to describe the making of the Spitfire, with a central lyrical solo depicts the exhaustion of the aircraft's designer R. J. Mitchell, who was dying from an illness. The patriotic march returns joined with the fugue to mark the completion of the fighter aircraft.
Grade 5
Set: $100; Score: $15
|
|
|
|
|
England's Pleasant Land
Ralph Vaughn Williams
England's Pleasant Land
was written to accompany a pageant by the same name written by the novelist E. M. Forster. The pageant focused on the 'English countryside, its growth and destruction'. The two movements included were Vaughan Williams original contribution to the pageant. The pageant was presented around 1934, and then forgotten until now. This is the first publication of this important piece of wind band history. Paul Noble has edited the setting for modern Wind Band. If you wish though, a version with the original instrumentation is available as well, as me for details.
Grade 4.5
Set (either version): $175;
Score: $15
|
Masquerade Suite
John Halvorson
Masquerade Suite was composed by Johan Halvorsen, one of the best-kept secrets of Norway. Not only was he an accomplished violinist and conductor, but also he was among the most prominent Norwegian composers in the generation following Edvard Grieg. The original version of Masquerade Suite had nine movements. Paul Noble has selected five of the most suitable movements for band transcription and grouped them into this beautiful suite. Individual movements can be purchased separately, contact me for details.
Grade 5.5
Set: $175 Score: $35
|
|
|
|
|
A John Rutter Christmas I-V
John Rutter
Paul Noble has taken several of John Rutter's numerous Christmas Carol settings and arranged them for band. Each collection contains 4-6 of John Rutter's famous Christmas Carol arrangements, and like most of the works in this series they can be performed with or without choir. Collection number 4 is even suitable for audience sing-along participation. Click on the links below to listen to each setting.
Grade 4
|
Partita
John Rutter
This is quite a work and not a piece you might have expected from the renowned composer of some of the classics of contemporary sacred choral music. It's a giant of a piece that allows everyone in the ensemble to truly shine, and one which surely will become a significant addition to the concert band repertoire. With hints of Gershwin, and filled with joy, majesty, wonder, and power, it will excite your ensemble and capture your audience. The original orchestra composition was written for, and dedicated to, the London Junior Orchestra.
Grade 5
Set $250; Score $40
|
|
|
|
|
Gloria
John Rutter
Gloria is one of Rutter's most ambitious concert works, and its premiere was the occasion for his first visit to the US, in May, 1974. Rutter himself sees this work as analogous to a symphony, with three movements- Allegro Vivace, Andante, Vivace e Ritmico. Rutter describes this work as "exalted, devotional and jubilant by turns". As with many of Noble's arrangements of John Rutter's compositions, this work is written for combined Chorus and Concert Band, but may be performed by Concert Band alone.
Grade 5
Complete Set $250; Score $40
Individual Mvts. $90 each; Score $15
|
Suite of Cotswald Dances
Philip Lane
Cotswold Dances is a 6 movement suite of short, light, accessible dances from the south central region of England. Each movement has a distinct character and charm, and are all available as separate movements so you can program as many or as few as you like. The entire set only takes 12 minutes to perform, so this is highly adaptable to a number of situations and tastes. The movements are
Complete Set - $125; Score $40
Individual Mvt. - Set $30
; Score $8
|
|
|
Other works of note from the catalog:
|
|
Bernstein Centenery
|
Most of you probably already know that 2018 is the Centenary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein. If you'd like to see a listing of all his works available in the US for wind band, here it is. I've made sure to get copies of everything into stock, so I should have anything you need ready to go. There are several young band settings, so you don't need to be a University to take part in celebrating the genius of one of America's greatest conductors and composers.
|
|
A Wind Band podcast and a
Wind Band blog
|
Just a couple of plugs for some online resources you should also be taking note of. Mark Conner hosts a weekly podcast called Everything Band where he interviews notable composers, conductors, and other figures of the wind band world. You can download them on your favorite podcast app or go to his website.
Andrew Pease continues his academic work with the Wind Band Literature blog. He reviews performances of wind band concerts he attends, comments on works he conducts with his band at Hartwick College in New York and other groups, and writes about other topics concerning the wind band repertoire. I highly encourage all of you to follow both of these fellows and keep yourself regularly informed on a variety of relevant areas.
Also - there's a new Wind Band podcast coming out in October called "Source Material". Hosted by Sean Dennison Smith, this podast is a spin-off from a segment on the Illinois Bands podcast "One More Time." For the moment you can follow their Facebook page until they launch. I'll make an announcement when the podcast goes live.
|
|
Do you have a Condcuting
Class this year?
|
If your school teaches a conducting class, I can help get your repertoire list ready for your students. Just send me a message with the details of your class (Class name, term semester, and school), the repertoire needed or suggested, and an approximate number of participants. I'll make sure to get all the repertoire into stock, I'll create a page your students can go to in order to get their materials all at once, send you the link to it, and make sure I have all your repertoire in stock.
Here's an example of what they'll see.
|
So what's to follow after this? Well, I've got articles planned on new reference materials, new works from Maecenas Music (whom we now distribute in the US), more new band materials for all grade levels, and some other helpful resources that might help you put your band program together. Two or three more issues in fast succession, then I can get back to filling orders for the start of the school year.
Drop me a line if you'd like any help finding and picking literature for this year. Thanks for your continued interest, and please let me know what else I can do to help you out in any way. |
Thank you as always -
Jeff Girard
Instrumental Specialist
Instrumental Music (my direct line):
314/942-1522
General phone line:
314/291-4686
Fax:
314/291-4166
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1234 Main Street, Awesomeville, MA ยท 555.555.5555
|
|
|
|
