Celebration Overture
General Info
Year: 1954
Duration: c. 7:20
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Shawnee Press
Cost: Score and Parts - $100.00 | Score Only - $12.50
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba I-II
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:
- Bass Drum
- Crash Cymbals
- Glockenspiel
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tambourine
- Tom-tom
- Triangle
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Celebration Overture was commissioned by Dr. Edwin Franko Goldman and premiered at the ABA conference in February 1955, with Creston conducting. It consists of three sections: fast, slow, and fast -- like the Italian Baroque overture. In style it differs considerably from its ancestor. Regarding Celebration Overture, Creston wrote as follows: “I was preoccupied with matters of melodic design, harmonic coloring, rhythmic pulse, and formal progression, not with limitations of nature or narrations of fairy tales." This bright and festive overture justifies its title with short and rhythmic melodies along with sonorous harmonies.
- Program notes from Band Music Notes, Paul Creston, and Duane J. Mikow
Media
- Audio CD Keystone Wind Ensemble (Jack Stamp, conductor)
- Audio CD University of Illinois Symphonic Band (Harry Begian, conductor)
State Ratings
- Florida: VI
- Maryland: VI
- Minnesota: Category I
- New York: VI
- Texas: V
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Central Washington University (Ellensburg) Wind Ensemble (T. André Feagin, conductor) - 29 November 2023
- Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park, Calif.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Andy Collinsworth, conductor) - 12 May 2023
- West Chester University (Penn.) Wind Ensemble (Andrew Yozviak, conductor) - 30 April 2023
- Cleveland (Ohio) Winds (Birch Browning, conductor) – 14 November 2021
- Clements High School (Sugar Land, Tx.) Symphonic Band (Daniel Galloway, conductor) – 20 December 2019 (2019 Midwest Clinic)
- Hudson Valley Wind Ensemble (Ossining, N.Y.) (James D. Wayne, conductor) – 3 March 2019
- Ohlone Wind Orchestra (Fremont, Calif.) (Tony Clements, conductor) – 28 October 2018
- Gettysburg (Penn.) College Symphony Band (Russell McCutcheon, conductor) – 12 October 2018
- University of Texas at El Paso Wind Symphony (Bradley Genervo, conductor) – 15 February 2018 (2018 TMEA Conference, San Antonio)
- Knightwind Ensemble (Milwaukee, Wisc.) (Erik N. Janners, conductor) – 29 October 2017
- University of Arizona (Tucson) Wind Ensemble (Chad R. Nicholson, conductor) – 27 April 2017
- University of Arizona (Tucson) Wind Symphony (Chad Shoopman, conductor) – 9 February 2017
- Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisc.) Wind Ensemble (Andrew Mast, conductor) – 21 May 2016
- Michigan State University (East Lansing) Symphony Band (John T. Madden, conductor) – 22 March 2016
- University of Minnesota Symphonic Band (Timothy Diem, conductor) – 5 March 2014
- Texas State University (San Marcos) Wind Ensemble (Rodney Schueller, conductor) – 24 March 2011 (CBDNA 2011 National Conference, Seattle, Wash.)
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Anatolia (1968)
- Celebration Overture (1955)
- Celebration Overture (ed. Madden) (1955/2016)
- Concertino for Marimba and Band (1940/1975)
- Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (or Band) (1941/1963/1966)
- Fantasy for Trombone and Orchestra (or Band)
- Five Little Dances (trans. Longfield) (1946/2013)
- Kalevala (1971)
- Legend (1942/1945)
- Night in Mexico (tr. Yates) (1966/1997)
- Prelude and Dance (1959)
- Square Dance '76 (1977)
- Suite for Saxophone Quartet
- Zanoni (1949)
- Liberty Song ’76 (1976)
Resources
- Creston, P. (1955). Celebration overture [full score]. Templeton Press, Delaware Water Gap, PA.
- O'Toole, Anthony. (2021, February 11). SCORE STUDY EPISODE #30: CELEBRATION OVERTURE (Creston) [Video]. YouTube.
- Paul Creston at G. Schirmer's Website
- Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 146.