Appalachian Overture

James Barnes

James Barnes

General Info

Year: 1983
Duration: c. 7:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Wingert-Jones
Cost: Score and Parts - $70.00   |   Score Only - $10.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II-III
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet (optional)
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contrabass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV
F Horn I-II-III
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including

• Bass Drum
• Bells
• Crash Cymbal
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Tambourine
• Triangle
• Vibraphone (if available)

Program Notes

In 1983, the late composer/conductor Claude T Smith invited me to write a work to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of Wingert and Jones Music Co. of Kansas City, the well-known publisher of Smith’s early works and one of the great retail sheet music Stores in Mid-America. I initially turned down the commission, because I could not fit another work into my writing schedule for 1984, but, after explaining my problem to Smith, we both agreed to take one of the works that I was writing for a high school honor band in North Carolina as my contribution to the anniversary celebration. The result was Appalachian Overture, which was premiered by the Alamance County Honor Band in the spring of 1984. The work was published that summer by Wingert and Jones, and it remains my only work in that catalogue.

The overture, in ABA form, is based on original material, but the middle melody is reminiscent of the sort of folk melody prevalent in the American southeast, where the Appalachian Mountains are located. It is a work of great excitement and energy, with the slower middle section allowing the listener a moment of repose before the driving da capo and the dramatic coda, in which the first and second themes are superimposed in counterpoint, finishes in a flash of brilliant sound and instrumental color.

- Program Note by composer

Commercial Discography

None discovered thus far.

Audio Links

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

• Arkansas: IV
• Kansas: IV
• Oklahoma: III-A
• South Carolina: IV
• Tennessee: IV. Complete
• Virginia: IV

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• University of Kansas (Lawrence) Wind Ensemble (Jacqueline Dawson, conductor) - 13 September 2020
• University of Oklahoma (Norman) Concert Band (Brian A. Britt, conductor) – 25 April 2016
• Banda Unió Musical de Gata de Gorgos (Spain) (Joan Valentí Giménez Ortiz, conductor) - 2013

Works for Winds by this Composer

• All Pleasant Things (1998)
• Alvamar Overture (1981)
• Appalachian Overture (1983)
• Arioso and Presto
• Autumn Soliloquy (1987)
• Breckenridge
• Brookshire Suite (1980)
• Caribbean Hideaway
• Carnaval in São Paulo (2003)
• Centennial Celebration Overture (1986)
• Century Tower
• Chorale and Jubiloso (1998)
• Chorale Prelude on a German Folk Tune (1986)
• Citadel (2015)
• Concerto for Tuba (tr. Rogers) (1996)
• Credo (2016)
• Crossgate (1984)
• Danza Sinfonica
• Desperate Pursuit (2012)
• Dexter Park Celebration (2017)
• Dream Journey
• Eagle Bend
• Eaglecrest (1984)
• Eisenhower Centennial
• Escenas de los Aztecas (2012)
• Fanfare and Capriccio
• Fanfare and Processional (2018)
• Fanfare for West Point
• Fanfares and Alleluias
• Fantasy Variations on a Theme by Nicolo Paganini (1988)
• Festival Concert March
• Foxfire
• Golden Festival Overture
• Heatherwood Portrait
• High Plains Overture
• Hobart Centennial March
• Hunter Park
• Impressions of Japan (1994)
• Inspiration Point
• Inventions on Marching Songs
• Invocation and Toccata (1982)
• Jubilation Overture
• Legend
• Leroy Anderson Portrait, A (as arranger)
• A Light in the Wilderness
• The Lightning Brigade (2018)
• Lonely Beach (1993)
• The Long Gray Line (1988)
• Lyric Interlude (1980)
• Maracas from Caracas
• Meditation (2017)
• Nulli Secundus
• The Old Guard
• Pagan Dances (1996)
• The Perishing Rifles
• Poetic Intermezzo (1985)
• Porgy and Bess (as arranger) (1928/2002)
• Quest (2016)
• Rapscallion
• Rhapsodic Essay
• Ritmico (2018)
• Riverfest (1985)
• Romanza
• The Silver Gazebo
• A Solemn Prelude
• Sorcery Suite (2002)
• Spitfire Overture (1991)
• Stone Meadows
• Sunflower Saga
• Symphonic Essay (2012)
• Symphonic Overture (1991)
• Symphonic Requiem (2015)
• Symphony No. 2
• Symphony No. 3 (1997)
• Symphony No. 4
• Symphony No. 5 (2000)
• Symphony No. 9 (2018)
• Tchaikovsky Suite
• The Texans (1986)
• Three Symphonic Fanfares (1989)
• Toccata Fantastica
• Torch Dance
• Trail of Tears (1989)
• Trailridge Saga
• Tribute (2011)
• Twin Oaks
• Variants on a Moravian Hymn
• A Very American Overture
• Visions Macabres (1984/2006)
• We the People
• Westport Overture
• Westridge Overture (1983/1991)
• The Wild Blue Yonder (2008)
• Yama Midori
• Yorkshire Ballad (1985)

References

• Barnes, J. (1983). Appalachian Overture: For Band [score]. Wingert-Jones Music: Kansas City, Mo.