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One of the most famous pasodoble toreros (two-step Spanish marches) of all time arranged for symphonic winds and percussion. Demo live concert recording.
Manuel Penella Moreno was a prolific Spanish composer. Much of his music is forgotten today, but this may be his best-known work. Found in one of his 54 operas, it is commonly performed in concerts and festivals in Spain and throughout the Spanish-speaking world. It is also often used in ballroom dancing competitions. It is among the best known pasodobles (two-step Spanish marches) worldwide.
In Penella's opera El Gato Montes which premiered in 1916 or 1917 depending on who you believe, the tragic hero Rafael (tenor) is promoted from apprentice to full matador and thus emboldened publicly professes his love for the gypsy girl Solea (soprano). Shortly the murderer Juanillo called El Gato Montes (The Wildcat) (baritone) emerges from his wilderness seclusion and tells the gathered crowd that he is in fact Solea's true love, and that his crime was committed in defense of her honor.
In the climactic close of the of the second act, Matador Rafael triumphantly enters the bull ring of Seville to heroically face his burden of honor, to defeat six bulls and then face off against the villain-redeemed-by-love Juanillo to win the hand of Solea or die trying. The majestic and inspiring "Pasodoble Torero" is heard as he enters the ring.
An optional opening solo trumpet cadenza accompanied by marimbas and castanets is included. It is original material and does not come from any of Penella's works.
Traditionally Spanish audiences shout "Ole!" at the conclusion of the four ascending phrases of the chorus which musically depict the passes of the bull, played in this arrangement by low voice instruments. With a little coaching the audience could follow the lead of the band. The appropriate places are marked in the parts where players mouths are not occupied by instruments. Ole! could also be shouted at the end of the piece by the band.
This tragic opera depicts the brave and noble jilted matador Rafael gored to death by a bull shortly after entering the ring at the end of the second act, and Juanillo (El Gato Montes) killed at his request by one of his compadres as the police arrive to arrest him and haul him off for execution at the end of the third act. Solea is left weeping.
It is our hope that your performance of this piece ends on a more positive note.
This setting is for a full concert band and includes these parts:
Score
Piccolo
Flute 1 & 2
Oboe
Bassoon
Clarinet 1
Clarinet 2 & 3
Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1 & 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Solo Trumpet
Trumpet 1
Trumpet 2 & 3
F Horn 1 & 2
F Horn 3 & 4
Trombone 1 & 2 (BC)
Trombone 3 (Bass)
Euphonium (BC)
Baritone (TC)
Tuba(BC)
Snare and Bass Drum (2 players)
Castanets and Crash Cymbal (1 player)
Marimba 1 & 2 (1 or 2 players)
EL GATO MONTES, pasodoble torero from the opera of the same name by Manuel Penello Moreno, arranged by Tom Kirkland for smyphonic winds and percussion comes in a pdf file of 696K, with a ten-page score, twenty-one one-page parts, one two-page part, one three-page part and a license page, thirty-seven pages in all. Performance time should be about 3:25.
As close as you can come to the original Casper Troopers arrangement circa 1971-74 by Mike Duffy and Knute Holian, presented in this version for G bugles.
The words written by Julia Ward Howe to William Steffe's tune became the de facto anthem of the Union side during the American Civil War.
One of the most famous arrangements of Battle Hymn is the choral arrangement by Peter J. Wilhousky. In the early 1960s, Don Angelica scored a version of Battle Hymn for The Troopers, a DCI drum and bugle corps out of Casper, Wyoming, that was based on Wilhousky's arrangement.
In 1968, Mike Duffy, a famous corps arranger and horn line coach who is in the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, extensively reworked that score, moving the refrain to a new key and writing a very exciting transition into it, including a unique waterfall feature. The Troopers won the VFW National Championship in 1970 with his arrangement in their show. Around 1973, Knute Holian, also of the Troopers, made some additional changes, and the Troopers continued to use that version from time to time up into the early 1980s.
This version borrows heavily and directly from the Holian revision, with a few adjustments backward to the Duffy version and some all-new material. The drum parts are totally original and bear no resemblance to anything done by the Troopers.
Battle Hymn begins in concert F, and concludes in concert D, which is enharmonic with our version for modern corps using Bb and F instruments, and so presents an opportunity to have an alumni corps playing G bugles joined by the current corps. Possible entry points for the modern corps would be measure 21 or better yet measure 23).
The entire arrangement is presented here for G bugles at the request of the Troopers Alumni corps. The parts pages are in the style of the corps of the 1970s, that is to say all instruments of a type on a page together, so all of our parts pages have two staffs on them.
Parts included are:
G Soprano 1 and G Soprano 2 & 3
G Mellophone 1 and G Mellophone 2
G Baritone 1 & 2 and G Baritone 3
G Euphonium and G Contra
Timbolis (set of five) and Cymbal/Snare/Bass Drum
Note: All of the brass parts include divisi sections.
There are no mallet or other tuned percussion parts included.
Very suitable for a parade piece, or for field marching in a Civil War- or patriotic-themed show.
BATTLE HYMN arranged for classic drum and bugle corps (using G bugles) by Tom Kirkland comes in a pdf file of 627K, including a seventeen page score, four two-page parts, one three-page part, and a license page, twenty-nine pages in all. Performance time should be about 1:40.
Humorous short piece for five-part string orchestra.
This original short humorous piece could be used in a pops concert setting, or perhaps to break up an otherwise "heavy" concert program.
At the end of the first section, a cellist "forgets" to play pizzicato and give us a big arco "Ole'!" that immediately draws the scorn of the rest of the orchestra. Oddly enough, the same thing happens at the end of the second section, only this time the guilty party is a violist. Finally, in the middle of the third section, a second violinist lets go a hearty shouted "Hey!" at the end of a phrase.
It will probably come as a shock to the audience that there is no final gag or gimmick to close the piece out.
PIZZITANGO, by Tom Kirkland, comes in a pdf file of 216K, with a seven-page score, five one-page parts and a license page, thirteen pages in all. Performance time should be approximately 2:10.
Tone poem for symphonic winds based on an old American Spiritual.
This piece originally came to being as an arrangement for unaccompanied SATBB choir. It would never have been converted for concert band if it were not for Eric Whitacre and his piece Lux Aurumque, which made a similar transition.
This piece begins with the low brass beginning the hymn tune, and we gather additional instruments until all are playing through the first half of the hymn tune. In the second half, we get more contemplative, and at one point the woodwind choir is playing a very simply echoed phrase. The full and comes back in and build with strong emphasis, which leads to a very contemplative coda.
When they first see the music, your players are apt to think there is not much to it, but it will be found to be quite challenging to get the ensemble correct and fully in tune at all times. Ultimately, it will be a very effective concert number.
For a believer the inescapable answer to the question, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" is emphatically yes. Each of us was not only there, but we participated in placing Jesus on the cross with our sin, and we died with him by joining with him in death to sin (Romans 3:21-26 and Romans 6:3-7).
Here via YouTube are two different renditions of the choral version of this piece performed by Ensemble Vocale "Secolo XXI" Directed by M° Eduardo Franco Rondina. Their version is very expressive and is an example of how moving this piece can be, and possible inspiration for interpretation.
WERE YOU THERE? arranged for symphonic winds by Tom Kirkland, comes in a PDF file of 271K containing a six page score, seventeen one page parts, plus a license page, twenty-four pages in all. Performance time will be about 3:30.
Isaac Watts penned beautiful lyrics for a passion hymn focused on man's relationship to the cross of Christ. Lowell Mason adapted a plainsong chant and a classic Christian hymn entered the mainstream.
This new arrangement is very smooth and focuses on harmonies and putting an understanding of the hymn lyric first. The anthem encompasses all four stanzas commonly sung.
The piece begins with the second violins, violas, and cellos in a trio, with the second violins carrying the melody in a rather low key. The bass and first violins soon join and set the tone for the piece. The second stanza is introduced a minor third higher by the violins and violas. The cello and then bass later join to once again add depth.
The third stanza carries the piece back to its plainsong roots with unison violas and cellos, then the bass enters and we break into three parts to complete the stanza. The full ensemble then enters a half step higher with more volume for a broad, rich rendering of the fourth stanza. A simple coda finishes the work.
The arrangement was specifically intended for Good Friday or a communion service, and the intent is smooth sonorous harmonies and great reverence for the sacrifice on the cross, and for this great hymn.
This selection is also available for SATBB choir in the same key, which would allow for a choral performance with string accompaniment. If an introduction is needed before the choir enters, the first sixteen bars (the section prior to the first double bar) can be played for this purpose.
WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS, by Isaac Watts, arranged for string orchestra by Tom Kirkland, comes in a pdf file of 200K, with a four-page score, five one-page parts and a license page, ten pages in all. Performance time should be approximately 3:30.
David Hepburn is a retired minister-of-music, choir director, band director, missionary, teacher, and school president, and a fine tenor and trumpeter. His many compositions are a testament to the works of Jesus he has seen in the lives of others and in his own life.
Originally written for SATB choir with organ, it made the transition to symphonic wind ensemble quite nicely.
This piece is a unique piece in that is is not bound by structure, but rather fully expresses an irregular lyric that throws light on the contrasts present on Calvary on the day of crucifixion and in the garden on the morning of the resurrection.
This piece opens with a very expressive introduction, followed by a smooth and harmonious treatment of the opening several lines. Tone alternates between light and dark to express the thoughts in the lyric, and ends triumphantly.
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Though the timbers were rugged that formed
Mount Calv'ry's cross,
Upon which the Savior painf'ly suffered and died,
The heart of the Lord remained tender, compassionate
For those who conspired to have Him crucified.
Though the skies clouded strangely and darkness prevailed,
And the earth shook and trembled in the darkness as night.
Yet the face of the Savior though scarred by a crown of thorns,
Rebuffed evil's darkness,
Revealed heaven's light!
Though the tomb sealed and guarded by
Rome's mighty army seemed to say to the people,
"It is over, death has won!"
God the Father was Victor, He showed His mighty power,
On the third day resurrecting the Messiah, God's Son!
He is risen, triumphant o'er the old rugged cross.
He is risen redeeming those captive to sin.
He is risen victorious over death as sin's penalty,
He is risen, He is risen, He is risen, Amen! Amen!
CONTRASTS ON CALVARY by David Hepburn arr. by Tom Kirkland for concert band, comes in a pdf file of 468K, including a fourteen page score, twenty two-page parts, and a license page, fifty-five pages in all. Performance time should be about 4:30.
David Hepburn is a retired minister-of-music, choir director, band director, missionary, teacher, and school president, and a fine tenor and trumpeter. His many compositions are a testament to the works of Jesus he has seen in the lives of others and in his own life.
In 1993, shortly after completing this piece as a piano solo, David was disabled by a stroke and has not written music since.
LAST by David Hepburn, arranged by Tom Kirkland for string orchestra, comes in a pdf file of 193K, with a four-page score, five one-page parts and a license page, ten pages in all. Performance time should be approximately three minutes.
Brass band setting of a favorite hymn tune. Includes parts for Bb, Eb, and F pitched brass instruments.
David Hepburn is a retired minister-of-music, choir director, band director, missionary, teacher, and school president, and a fine tenor and trumpeter. His many compositions are a testament to the works of Jesus he has seen in the lives of others and in his own life.
The son of Samuel Hepburn, David was long associated with the Salvation Army, and played in their brass bands from a very early age. This piece was originally written for the system the Salvation Army adapted from the old European brass band system, utilizing Eb horns and an Eb tuba, with all parts written in the natural key of the instruments in treble clef.
We have preserved that original voicing in one of the scores provided in this selection. The other score shows parts that are written for the "modern" brass band. All of the necessary parts for both approaches are included, which allows for various mix-and-match scenarios.
COME YE DISCONSOLATE by Webbe, arranged for brass band by David Hepburn, comes in a pdf file of 507K, two scores: one fifteen pages long, the other sixteen pages, twenty one-page instrumental parts, and a license page, fifty-two pages in all. Performance time should be approximately 2:45.
The origins of this tune are lost, but it one of the few popular modal hymns in modern use. It is set in the dorian mode, perhaps the most often heard of the old modes. The casual listener might think it is in a minor key, but many of the tones that would complete the minor scale are absent. Even a casual listener can identify that the melody is not in a major key.
Set in the dorian mode with D as its home pitch, the signature has no sharps or flats. The opening phrases, however, are more or less in g minor. The most commonly used chords are d, e, a, C, F, G, b(dim), sometimes g, and a few other surprises, including the ending chord of Gmaj7. Much of the time, the tune begins and ends on unisons, octaves, or open fifths. It could possibly be said that harmonically at least this arrangement has no key at all, and that's a big part of what makes it sound mysterious.
The love that sent Jesus to the cross is in fact one of the great mysteries of all existence.
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What wondrous love?
What wondrous love?
What wondrous love?
What wondrous love?
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!
When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.
To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb,
Who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing.
While millions join the theme, I will sing.
WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS?, arranged by Tom Kirkland for unaccompanied SATBB choir, comes in a pdf file of 274K, with an eight-page score and a license page, nine pages in all. Performance time should be about 3:30.
The old Welsh tune, Llwyn Onn, known in the English-speaking world as Ash Grove, is over 200 years old, and has been used with the hymn lyrics "The Master Has Come" and "Let All Things Now Living." Regardless what title you know it by, it is a wonderful and beautiful tune.
This piece was originally written for piano, then expanded for organ, and has now been rewritten in a different key for string orchestra.
The first violin plays sixteenth-note arpeggios nearly throughout, spelled in a couple of spots by the second violins, who have a rhythmic accompaniment most of the way through. The viola has the rhythmic accompaniment most of the time as well, but joins the cellos for a pieces of the melody in a couple of places. The cello has the melody all the way through, usually in unison with the bass.
FANTASIA ON ASH GROVE, for string orchestra by Tom Kirkland, comes in a pdf file of 338K, with a ten-page score, five two-page parts, and a license page, twenty-one pages in all. Performance time should be approximately 3:40.
A father realizes his young son is not a little kid anymore. Song for tenor/baritone and small orchestra, from the first act of the musical play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS.
In the first scene of the first act of the musical play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS, a father becomes wistful as he realizes his young son is not a little kid anymore.
This song is written for a tenor/baritone (range C to F). It can be performed with the piano part only, or with a small orchestra consisting of piano, clarinet, first and second violins, cello, and electric bass.
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When I was just a little kid,
I heard tales of what bold men did;
And beasts with wings and creatures wild,
That stirred the heart of a little child.
The made-up world is a wondrous place,
Of ancient times and of men in space,
And pirate captains and chests of gold,
And a man in red living at the pole.
But the wonder faded away with time,
And the made-up world was no longer mine.
The vision of reindeer in flight with a sleigh-
As childhood retreated, was brushed away.
But in the eyes of my youngest child, the wonder still appears.
The anticipation of Christmas morn, is not dulled by bills and career....
Wonder, oh wonder, wonder a little longer, my son.
Wonder, oh wonder...
Linger a moment before you go on.
When you were just a little kid,
You heard tales of what bold men did;
And beasts with wings and creatures wild,
That stirred the heart of a little child.
How did it happen, the time went so fast,
How many minutes and hours have passed?
You could wonder a little longer, my son,
But the time has come, for you to go on.
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Parts in the rehearsal score are tenor/baritone and piano.
Orchestral parts are:
Clarinet (recommend using only one)
Violin 1 & 2
Cello
Electric Bass
Piano
The remainder of the pit orchestra for the show is tacet for this song.
MP3 sound sample: Entire Piece (synthesizer/midi)
WONDER, OH WONDER, by Tom Kirkland, a tenor/baritone solo with small orchestra, comes in a pdf file of 314K, with a four-page practice score, nine-page full score, four one-page parts, one three-page, part, and a license page, twenty-one pages in all. Performance time should be about 3:40.
Another song from the musical play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS. In this song, Mary sings about the bittersweet situation of raising a child of importance, who she will one day have to give up to his role as Messiah.
"When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." --Luke 2:17-19 NIV
This is a song about what Mary might have thought while singing her baby boy to sleep a night or two after the visit of the shepherds. The most striking dimension is the emphasis on a mother's conflicting desires to see her child grow up, but also to see her child remain a little baby just a while longer.
This song is written for a mezzo soprano soloist with high tenor (highest note A). It could be incorporated into a Christmas program as a song sung by Mary and Joseph beside the manger, as is it set within the musical play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS. This is the only song that is not a traditional Christmas song that was not written specifically for the musical, but rather had a scene in the musical written around it.
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Be still and sleep my Yeshua, my little baby son,
Close your eyes and dream of times when better things will come.
What little can we give you: Life as a carpenter's son,
And in the hills of Galilee, you will learn to run.
What a nurs'ry for Messiah, this stable where we stay!
You've nothing but these well-worn blankets, and this fragrant bed of hay...
The hills were ringing with the song sung by the angel choir,
(Glory in the highest, and on earth his peace!)
Start'ling all the shepherds there, all huddling by the fire.
Then those shepherds came and honor'd you, a most amazing sight,
And I heard the praises on their lips, saw the wonder in their eyes.
(Wonderful! Counselor! Prince of Peace! Mighty God!
Everlasting Father! Messiah!)
But in the quiet of the night, my dearest pride and joy,
Messiah seems so far away, you're just my little boy...
One day you will leave our home to do Jehovah's will,
Wear your crown and purple robe, ascend the holy hill!
Then when it's time to take your throne they all will sing your praise,
And ev'ryone will bow the knee and Lord will be your name!
But in the time I watch you grow, while you still need me near,
Just be my precious little one, the son I love so dear,
Your working time is yet to come: Messiah your birthright,
But in this moment Yeshua,
My dearest precious Yeshua,
Just be my little Yeshua,
For one more silent night.
(Wonderful! Counselor! Messiah! Prince of Peace!)
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Parts in the rehearsal score are: mezzo soprano, tenor, SATB chorus, and piano.
Orchestral parts are:
Flute 1 & 2
Clarinet 1 & 2
Trumpet 1 & 2
F Horn 1 & 2
Trombone 1 & 2
Violin 1 & 2
Cello
Piano
The remainder of the pit orchestra for the show is tacet for this song.
LULLABY FOR THE MESSIAH, by Tom Kirkland, a mezzo soprano solo with tenor, chorus, and orchestra, comes in a pdf file of 673K, with a ten-page practice score, twenty-one page full score, seven two-page parts, one three-page, part, and a license page, forty-nine pages in all. Performance time should be about four minutes.
A simple piece for strings that evokes a summer afternoon lying in the grass.
The picture painted by this piece is of laying on the grass under a tree on a lazy summer afternoon, looking up through the branches and seeing patches of blue sky break through the leafy canopy.
Ir's a simple piece for string orchestra, with AABA form, helpful to young players in developing intonation and phrasing, and a concert piece that will be relatively easy to prepare.
UNDER THE YELLOW MAPLE TREE by Tom Kirkland, for string orchestra consisting of first and second violins, volas, cellos, and basses, comes in a pdf file of 213K, with a five-page score, five one-page parts, and a license page, ten pages in all. Performance time should be about three minutes.
This march opens with an introduction that foreshadows the main theme. The clarinets, flutes and piccolos introduce the main theme with a woodblock keeping time and the low woodwinds playing the bass line. The euphoniums and horns play a counter-melody that sways like the branches of a tree in a summer wind.
As the main theme repeats, we add more instruments, until the entire band is playing, including an additional counter-melody played by the trombones, second and third trumpets, and tenor saxes.
Any Elburn resident will tell you that it is common for your commuting, shopping, or errand-running to be held up a bit as all traffic on both Highway 47 and First Street stops to allow the passage of a freight train on the busy Union Pacific main line running between Chicago and the west coast. This scene is depicted in the march.
After the train rolls through, the trumpets and horns play a dramatic theme accompanied by the rest of the brass and snare drum. During the second playing of this theme, the piccolos play a descant, turning our drum-and-bugle corps into a fife-and-drum-and-bugle corps.
A somewhat longer reprise of the introduction leads back to the main theme, played by the full band.
The piece ends with yet another reprise of the introduction.
THE VILLAGE OF ELBURN by Tom Kirkland, for concert band, comes in a pdf file of 949K, including a twenty-eight page score, twenty two-page parts, one three-page part, and a license page, seventy-two pages in all. Performance time should be about three minutes.
Update of a classic arrangement used by the The Troopers of Casper, Wyoming from the late 1960s until the early 1980s, for modern corps using Bb and F instruments.
The words written by Julia Ward Howe to William Steffe's tune became the de facto anthem of the Union side during the American Civil War.
One of the most famous arrangements of Battle Hymn is the choral arrangement by Peter J. Wilhousky. In the early 1960s, Don Angelica scored a version of Battle Hymn for The Troopers, a DCI drum and bugle corps out of Casper, Wyoming, that was based on Wilhousky's arrangement.
In 1968, Mike Duffy, a famous corps arranger and horn line coach who is in the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, extensively reworked that score, moving the refrain to a new key and writing a very exciting transition into it, including a unique waterfall feature. The Troopers won the VFW National Championship in 1970 with his arrangement in their show. Around 1973, Knute Holian, also of the Troopers, made some additional changes, and the Troopers continued to use that version from time to time up into the early 1980s.
This version borrows heavily and directly from the Holian revision, with a few adjustments backward to the Duffy version and some all-new material. The drum parts are totally original and bear no resemblance to anything done by the Troopers.
Battle Hymn begins in concert F, and concludes in concert D, and is enharmonic with our version for classic corps using G bugles, so it is possible to perform this along with alumni players using G bugles.
While the entire arrangement was updated for a modern corps using Bb and F instruments, we decided to present the parts pages in the style of the corps from the 1970s, that is to say all instruments of a type on a page together, so all of our parts pages have two staffs on them.
Parts included are:
Trumpet 1 and Trumpet 2 & 3
F Mellophone 1 and F Mellophone 2
Baritone 1 & 2 and Baritone 3
Euphonium and Tuba
Timbolis (set of five) and Cymbal/Snare/Bass Drum
Note: All of the brass parts include divisi sections.
There are no mallet or other tuned percussion parts included.
Corps practice carefully distinguishes between baritone, being closely related to cornet and french horn and having a narrower conical bore, and euphonium, being closely related to flugel horn and tuba and having a more open conical bore. If this piece were to be performed by the brass section of a marching band or some such, it is recommended that all baritones and euphoniums play the euphonium part and the baritone parts be played by the trombones. All baritone and euphonium parts in this arrangement are presented in bass clef concert key only.
Very suitable for a parade piece, or for field marching in a Civil War- or patriotic-themed show.
BATTLE HYMN arranged for modern drum and bugle corps by Tom Kirkland comes in a pdf file of 317K, including a seventeen page score, four two-page parts, one three-page part, and a license page, twenty-nine pages in all. Performance time should be about 1:40.
A friend who lives in Sugar Grove and happens to play the euphonium heard that work had begun on this march, and requested that it have "a cool euphonium counter-melody." Well, other than playing the opening fanfare and the dogfights, that's all the euphoniums and trombones do in this march, over and over again.
The march opens with a cadence by the drums, followed by a Romanesque fanfare for full band.
The fanfare winds down and the first theme is introduced by the first trumpets, accompanied by second and third trumpets and horns on a rhythmic part and the tubas thumping out the bass. When the first theme repeats, we get the first "cool euphonium (and trombone) counter-melody."
The brass then drops out as the flutes, clarinets, and bassoon enter in a new key with the second theme. This repeats adding the bari saxes and oboes on bass and melody, and the alto and tenor saxes on a cool countermelody of their own.
A dogfight section then breaks out, which leaves us in the same (second) key.
After the dogfight, the second theme repeats again, this time adding trumpets to the soprano and alto lines. When the second theme repeats one last time, the trombones, horns, and euphoniums play, you guessed it, another counter-melody, while the tubas join the bass line.
A second dogfight returns us to the original key, where the first theme returns in the full band minus the trombones and euphoniums.
Of course, the trombones and euphoniums were being held in reserve for a final repeat of the first theme with their original counter-melody.
The drums then finish the piece with a cadence very similar to the opening.
This piece could be used for marching by omitting the oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, and tympani parts.
THE VILLAGE OF SUGAR GROVE by Tom Kirkland, for concert band, comes in a pdf file of 930K, including a thirty-five page score, twenty two-page parts, one three-page part, and a license page, seventy-nine pages in all. Performance time should be about 3:15.
This march opens with an introduction by the full band which then winds down to the first theme presented by the woodwinds. The full band then picks up this theme with a strong counter-melody by the tenor- and baritone-voice instruments.
The bass voices then play a theme with a rhythmic accompaniment by the trumpets and horns, which repeats, adding a piccolo part.
A brief dogfight section builds into the original theme with counter-melody by the full band at a mezzo volume for the first half, then fortissimo, with a stinger at the end.
This piece could be used for marching by omitting the oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, and tympani parts.
THE VILLAGE OF KANEVILLE by Tom Kirkland, for concert band, comes in a pdf file of 788K, including a twenty-four page score, twenty two-page parts, one three-page part, and a license page, sixty-eight pages in all. Performance time should be about three minutes.
While this piece is completely original, it is styled after some of the classic marches.
It opens with the saxes and other low reeds playing a theme inspired by Irish music. A brief percussion break featuring tympani leads into more development of the first theme and counter melody.
A "dogfight" section follows, which gives way to a light woodwind theme, which is embellished initially by piccolo and then eventually the entire band playing either the theme or counter melody.
The dogfight repeats, and then the development section of the first theme returns to round out the march. There is a bit of a novelty stinger on the end.
This piece could be used for marching by omitting the oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, and chime parts. The tympani part can be eliminated if it is covered by timbolis during the percussion break early in the piece.
THE VILLAGE OF MAPLE PARK by Tom Kirkland, for concert band, comes in a pdf file of 932K, including a twenty-three page score, twenty-one two-page parts, one three-page part, and a license page, sixty-nine pages in all. Performance time should be about 3:30
A musical brainstorming meeting set to the beat of a tango. Vocalists with piano or 20-piece pit orchestra. From the musical play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS.
Have you ever been to a brainstorming meeting, with some people defending silly ideas, others afraid to bring up good ones, some laying in wait for a weakness, some encouraging the flow of discussion? It seems a bit like a dance-- possibly a tango, with the posturing, the stops, the flourishes...
This song frames a brainstorming meeting in which the exciting idea of entering the giant inflatable Christmas yard figure business is first discussed.
There are seven named singers in the song, and in the play there are male and female characters, but if the song was performed as a stand-alone gender does not really matter, and it could be done with more or fewer singers. There are a couple of sections where four- and five-part SATB and SSATB harmony is called for, so it is best to have at least one person on a part. This song potentially could stand alone, but it makes much more sense in the context of the play.
It would be possible to perform this piece using just the rehearsal score, but it is recommended that you use as much of the orchestration as you can.
The song is intended to be performed with the pit orchestra for the show, and 20 pieces are recommended:
A PRETTY GOOD IDEA by Tom Kirkland, for vocalists with 20-piece orchestra, comes in a pdf file of 555K, including a nine-page vocal/piano rehearsal score, twenty-nine page orchestral score, twelve two-page parts, one four-page part, and a license page, sixty-seven pages in all. Performance time should be about four minutes.
Vivaldi's famous concerto for two trumpets reworked with accompaniment by an ensemble composed entirely of single-reed instruments.
Antonio Vivaldi was a little older than J. S. Bach and his music influenced Bach considerably. Vivaldi's music, however, always seems to be lighter and livelier than Bach's. Vivaldi was a master of the simple, almost mathematically precise phrase. When listening to Vivaldi, the ear is almost never surprised by where the music goes.
Vivaldi's music, like Bach's, was considered outdated and lost favor after immediately his death, and Vivaldi did not become "popular" again in classical music circles until the early 20th century. His concerto for two trumpets has been a favorite of trumpeters for almost a century now.
Written for two natural (valveless) trumpets pitched in C accompanied by a five-voice string orchestra, the piece is in three movements, the Allegro in 4/4 time presented here, followed by a brief Largo, which gives way to a slightly longer Allegro in 3/4 time.
This piece is usually performed by two modern (valved) C trumpets with a chamber orchestra, or possibly with piano accompaniment. The problem with this is that a great many high schools do not have a chamber orchestra of quality on par with their concert band. Such a school would then not be able to expose its students to this work, even if they had access to trumpeters capable of playing it.
For this reason, we chose to re-score this work for two C trumpets and a reed ensemble consisting of clarinets, alto and tenor saxes, and bass clarinets. Most high school bands, even at smaller schools, will be able to put together such an ensemble from within their band, and thus be able to perform this work.
So we present the first movement of the Vivaldi Concerto in C Major for Two Trumpets RV537 with the following parts included in the pdf file:
C Trumpet 1
C Trumpet 2
Clarinet 1
Clarinet 2
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Bass Clarinet
CONCERTO IN C MAJOR FOR TWO TRUMPETS - RV 537 - NO. I by Antonio Vivaldi, arranged for two C trumpets and woodwind ensemble by Tom Kirkland, comes in a pdf file of 464K, including a nineteen-page score, seven two-page parts, and a license page, thirty-four pages in all. Performance time should be about three minutes.
Sparkling piece for parade or field marching that begins with Dixie, then transitions through Yankee Doodle into The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
This piece begins with a version of Dixie, a song written by Dan Emmitt that eventually became associated with the Confederate side of the American Civil War though it had roots on both sides. The arrangement here is inspired by a portion of the concert band arrangement done many years ago by the famous arranger Carmen Dragon.
A modernized "fife and drum" version of Yankee Doodle, with the drum line providing significant battlefield thunder, provides a transition to the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
The words written by Julia Ward Howe to William Steffe's tune became the de facto anthem of the Union side during the American Civil War.
One of the most famous arrangements of Battle Hymn is the choral arrangement by Peter J. Wilhousky. In the early 1960s, Don Angelica scored a version of Battle Hymn for The Troopers, a DCI drum and bugle corps out of Casper, Wyoming, that was based on Wilhousky's arrangement. In 1968, Mike Duffy, a famous corps arranger and horn line coach who is in the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, extensively reworked that score, moving the refrain to a new key and writing a very exciting transition into it, including a unique waterfall feature. The Troopers won the VFW National Championship in 1970 with his arrangement in their show. Around 1973, Knute Holian, also of the Troopers, made some additional changes, and the Troopers continued to use that version from time to time up into the early 1980s.
This version for marching band borrows heavily and directly from the Holian revision, with a few adjustments backward to the Duffy version and some all-new material. The drum parts are totally original and bear no resemblance to anything done by the Troopers.
Dixie is in concert Eb, Yankee Doodle in concert Bb, Battle Hymn begins in concert F, and concludes in concert D.
Parts included are:
Flute & Piccolo
Clarinet 1 & 2
Alto Sax
Tenor Sax
Baritone Sax
Trumpet 1 (includes frequent divisi passages)
Trumpet 2 & 3
F Horn 1 (includes some divisi)
F Horn 2 (includes some divisi)
Trombone 1 & 2
Trombone 3 (requires F trigger)
Euphonium (BC)
Baritone TC (doubles euphonium)
Tuba (includes some divisi)
Timbolis (five-tom set)
Crash Cymbal, Snare Drum, Bass drum
There are no mallet or other tuned percussion parts included.
Very suitable for a parade piece, or for field marching in a Civil War- or patriotic-themed show. Structure is such that either Dixie or Battle Hymn could stand alone.
DIXIE BATTLE HYMN arranged for marching band by Tom Kirkland comes in a pdf file of 908K, including a twenty-four page score, sixteen parts (march format, two-to-a-page, eight pages), and a license page, thirty-three pages in all. Performance time should be about 2:40.
Ballad from the musical play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS. Solo for mezzo soprano with 19-piece pit orchestra. Includes rehearsal score with piano part.
There is a character named Anna in the two-act musical stage play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS who happens to be a single mother. The play is set in December of 2011, and Anna, as office manager of a manufacturing company, has not had a raise in four years. The economy is still very tough and things are not easy for her and her kids. This song expresses her melancholy feelings about her situation and also to express her faith that things will get better.
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What is a single mom to do?
There's been no raises now for four straight years!
Guess we will have to muddle through;
Swallow all my pride and choke back tears.
It's for the kids I keep on going
But it gets tougher every day.
I try to rest secure in knowing
That God, you're with me all the way.
What is a single mom to do?
I'll try to keep the heat and lights on.
We are going to make it through.
Suck it up and just keep pressing on.
But you would think that life would be
More of joy, and less of woe.
And maybe there's a way to see
A better way that we should go.
As a child I would dream of a fable:
A ball gown, a carriage, a prince,
Now I have to put food on the table,
And keep kids in clothing that fits.
What is a single mom to do?
There's been no raises now for four straight years!
Guess we will have to muddle through;
Swallow all my pride and choke back tears.
It's for the kids I keep on going
But it gets tougher every day.
I try to rest secure in knowing
That God, You will show me a way.
That God, You will show me a way.
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The range is middle C to E, a tenth, and suitable for mezzo soprano.
The pdf file includes a rehearsal score containing the vocal line and a piano part that could be used for performance without an orchestra, or with a partial orchestra.
The song itself is just over three minutes long, and is followed in the score by a 40-second scene change tag. The tag could be shortened to 20 seconds, or lengthened to 60 or 80 seconds through the use of a cut or repeats at the double bar lines provided.
The song is intended to be performed with the pit orchestra for the show, and 19 pieces are recommended:
Flute
Clarinet
Alto Sax
Tenor Sax
Trumpet 1 & 2 (one each)
F Horn 1 & 2 (one each)
Trombone 1 & 2 (one each)
Violin 1 & 2 (two each)
Cello
Keyboard (Acoustic Grand)
Guitar (one player: hollow body electric)
Electric Bass
Drum Kit (one player: bass, snare, high hat and ride cymbals, tom-toms)
Since this is written for a pit orchestra, no substitute parts are included.
WHAT IS A SINGLE MOM TO DO? by Tom Kirkland, a mezzo soprano solo with 19-piece orchestra, comes in a pdf file of 729K, including a six-page vocal/piano rehearsal score, twenty-six page orchestral score, eleven two-page parts, two three-page parts and a license page, sixty-one pages in all. Performance time should be about 3:10 for the song alone, plus about 40 seconds for the scene change tag at the end.
A humorous song from the musical play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS. Material in the pdf file is a tenor solo with 20-piece orchestra or possibly just piano, plus the script of the scene from the play, which can easily stand alone as a comedy skit.
The two-act musical stage play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS contains a plot point about a church Christmas program. We first learn of the Christmas program in this scene, when Anna, the person who has volunteered to run the program, visits Rev. Devon to discuss her plans. After a brief discussion, Rev. Devon sings a list of past Christmas program failures he has witnessed in his long career. This scene, a high point of humor in the show, easily stands alone as a skit. The three-page script of the scene is included in the pdf file.
Here are two sample stanzas, along with the connecting dialogue:
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In eighty-eight an idea that they thought would turn to gold,
Was to ditch the baby doll and use a real live two-month-old.
Her parents gave her something that was supposed to make her sleep.
But during Silent Night the little babe began to shriek.
Anna: What did they give her? To make her sleep, I mean.
Rev. Devon: I told them never to tell me.
In ninety-seven we had seen some hardware that we liked,
And fitted all the speaking roles with brand-new wireless mics.
It worked just fine and we had started feeling mighty grand,
Until United fifty-six asked to be cleared to land.
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In this scene, Anna does not sing, and with a name change, would not even have to be female. Rev. Devon's song runs from D to G, an octave and a half, though there is a built-in workaround for the G, and there is only one F# that is also easy to work around, leaving E as the highest note, so the song is probably doable by a high baritone.
The pdf file includes a rehearsal score containing the vocal line and a piano part that could be used for performance without an orchestra, or with a partial orchestra.
The song is intended to be performed with the pit orchestra for the show, and 20 pieces are recommended:
THINGS WE WILL NEVER DO by Tom Kirkland, a tenor solo with 20-piece orchestra, comes in a pdf file of 968K, including a three-page script for ACT ONE SCENE FOUR of the musical play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS, a fifteen-page vocal/piano rehearsal score, thirty-six page orchestral score, nine three-page parts, two four-page parts, one seven-page part, and a license page, ninety-seven pages in all. Performance time should be about 4:15 for the song alone, about six minutes for the entire scene.
This is an enlargement of a piano solo written in the first months of Megan Kirkland's life.
The main theme comes around three times, first in just the first violins, then in the first and second violins in octaves, and finally in the cellos. The piece is elegant in its simplicity.
The orchestra called for is first and second violins, violas, cellos, and basses.
MEGAN'S THEME by Tom Kirkland for string orchestra consisting of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and basses, comes in a pdf file of 325K, with a five-page score, five one-page parts, and a license page, eleven pages in all. Performance time should be about 4:15.
Overture for the musical play A GIANT INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS for 20-piece (or larger) orchestra.
This is the overture for the two-act musical play "A Giant Inflatable Christmas." As such it is intended to give the audience a taste of the tunes they will be hearing during the show. All five of the tunes featured in this piece are sung in the first act.
The tunes are (in order): The Boss is Gonna Be Here Any Minute, A Company is a Legacy, A Pretty Good Idea, What's a Single Mom to Do?, and Things We Will Never Do. There are a couple of quick showtune-style numbers, a stately march, a tango, and a ballad, as well as a dramatic beginning and ending all derived from musical material from the first act.
This piece is intended to be played by the 20-piece pit orchestra for the show, with the following instrumentation:
Flute
Clarinet 1 & 2 (one each)
Tenor Sax
Trumpet 1 & 2 (one each)
F Horn 1 & 2 (one each)
Trombone 1 & 2 (one each)
Violin 1 & 2 (two each)
Cello
Keyboard (electric grand or acoustic piano)
Guitar (one player: hollow body electric and steel string acoustic)
Electric Bass
Percussion (one player: tympani, wood block, chimes)
Drum Kit (one player: bass, snare, ride, crash, guiro)
Substitute parts are provided for:
Alto Sax (same part as tenor sax)
Flugelhorn (same part as F Horn 1)
Euphonium (same part as F Horn 2)
There is at least one part that every instrument normally found in a band or orchestra can play (bari sax or bassoon can play off the cello part, oboe off the flute or violin, etc.), so if you have at least 18 pieces that can cover the parts on the first list (or their alternates on the second), your group can perform this piece.
Note that there is no stand-alone solo or rehearsal piano part included in the pdf.
A GIANT INFLATABLE OVERTURE by Tom Kirkland for 20-piece orchestra comes in a pdf file of 629K, with an eleven-page score, eleven two-page parts, two three-page parts, two five-page parts, and a license page, fifty pages in all. Performance time should be about five minutes.
Another treasure from David Hepburn: A Spanish-influenced praise anthem.
David Hepburn is a retired minister-of-music, choir director, band director, missionary, teacher, and school president, and a fine tenor and trumpeter. His many compositions are a testament to the works of Jesus he has seen in the lives of others and in his own life.
David once said, "I've been writing a lot more songs lately with scripture for lyrics, and it's been working very well. You know, God said 'My word shall not return void,' not, 'your lyrics shall not return void.' If you want to write music that changes people's hearts, why would you try to improve on scripture?"
This piece opens with a brass fanfare, followed by a spoken opening over held chords by the brass. Then comes a Spanish-influenced gallop through the penultimate praise Psalm.
This piece is easily accomplished by choir with just piano, or with any part of the small orchestra for which it is scored. The lyric specifically mentions most of the instruments called for, so whether to use a partial orchestra is left to the director.
The orchestra is two to three trumpets, two to three trombones, one or two cellos, one or two flutes, and percussion (tambourine and suspended cymbal - one player can handle both), and as a bonus option, harp. The piano part (not optional) doubles all of these.
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Spoken:
Praise ye the Lord!
Praise Him in His sanctuary!
Praise Him in the firmament of His power!
Prasie Him for His mighty acts!
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Sung:
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet!
Praise Him with the psaltery and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and the dance!
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute!
Praise Him upon the loud-sounding cymbal!
Praise Him upon the high-sounding cymbal!
Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!
Praise ye the Lord!
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MP3 sound sample: New Song Singers, 1975.
PSALM 150 by David Hepburn for SATB choir, piano, and optional small orchestra consisting of flute, three trumpets, three trombones, cello, and percussion, comes in a pdf file of 221K, with a twelve-page full score, a six-page choral/piano score, five one-page instrumental parts, and a license page, twenty-four pages in all. Performance time should be about two minutes.
This is a relatively simple piece for string orchestra. Long, flowing lines, delicate voicing, and a couple of sections featuring viola come together to produce a nice concert number, also suitable for use in a worship service.
TRANQUILITY by Tom Kirkland for string orchestra, comes in a pdf file of 954K, with a five-page score, five two-page parts, and a license page, sixteen pages in all. Performance time should be about three minutes.
J. S. Bach did some truly amazing things in his lifetime, not the least of which was writing a significant number of motets for use throughout the church year. These motets were typically for four-part choir, sometimes four-part-plus-four-part double choir, and sometimes five-part choir. These were generally accompanied by a small string orchestra or by organ, but since all the accompaniment typically did was double the vocal parts, these pieces are equally effective, some would say more effective, when sung unaccompanied.
What has happened here is to take a couple of small sections of Bach's best-known five-part motet, Jesu Meine Freude, BWV 227, and arrange them for string orchestra. This piece can also be used as accompaniment for the SSATB version.
Bach's work was for a choir with two soprano sections, alto, tenor and bass, which translates well to three violin parts, viola, and cello. The bass part generally doubles the cello.
The minimum voicing for this piece is three violins, a viola, and a cello. If there is no cello, the bass would play the cello part rather than the bass part. There is also an alternate bass clef version of the viola part to make it easier to double it with cello.
This piece is not for the faint of heart, and if your browser is equipped to play the midi sample, you will hear why. The fugue has numerous passages in all parts of six-to-eight-count sixteenth-note runs at about 75 beats per minute. As you might expect, Bach has these runs reversing direction and breaking into interval jumps all over the place. They are playable by strong players on all of the instruments named, but considerable rehearsal and practice time will be required to clean up the piece and develop the ensemble needed to stay together.
The chorales are much easier to play, but they would probably not work especially well as a standalone concert piece without the fugue.
FUGUE AND TWO CHORALES OF J. S. BACH, arranged for string orchestra by Tom Kirkland, comes in a pdf file of 1389K, with a ten-page score, six two-page parts, a two-page alternate part, and a license page, twenty-five pages in all. Performance time should be about 4:20.
Unique setting of a favorite spiritual for full brass band.
Give Me Jesus is an old favorite currently finding favor as a worship song in churches with contemporary worship styles, and has been sung and played in many styles, but my personal favorite arrangement had always been the choir arrangement by Larry L. Fleming. That arrangement strongly influenced the style of this arrangement.
After putting together the brass sextet arrangement of this piece, there came an itch to flesh it out a bit further to full brass band. The chance to hear these harmonies expressed with the dynamic range and full tone of a large brass ensemble was too good to pass up.
There are eleven instrumental parts (some combined for printing). Trumpet 1, Trumpet 2 & 3, French Horn 1 & 2, Trombone 1 & 2, Bass Trombone, Baritone 1 & 2, and Tuba. Baritone parts are provided in both treble clef Bb and bass clef concert key. All voices will need to be covered for performance.
There is no easy way around the bass trombone. The part is too high in a couple of spots for a tuba, and too low in others for a tenor trombone or a baritone/euphonium.
GIVE ME JESUS, a traditional spiritual arranged by Tom Kirkland for brass band consisting of at least three trumpets, two french horns, two tenor trombones, bass trombone, two baritones, and tuba, comes in a pdf file of 1001K, with a five-page score, eight two-page parts, and a license page, twenty-two pages in all. Performance time should be about three minutes.
A request was made to score this old Irish tune for a rather unique ensemble. Click to read the story.
One day I got an e-mail from a young lady named Sarah, asking if I could help her find Be Thou My Vision, scored for her particular ensemble. Listening to the collection of instruments she had gathered to perform this work, I made a wild guess that the only way she was going to get what she was looking for was if I scored it for her group.
So, here is an interesting styling of this grand old Irish tune for a most unique collection of instruments: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Trumpet, Piano, and Vibraharp.
BE THOU MY VISION arranged by Tom Kirkland comes in a PDF file, 1576K, twelve pages in all, score, piano/vibraharp part, flute part, oboe part, clarinet part, trumpet part. Performance time is about three minutes.
