Christmas Overture

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (trans. Andre Bodin)

General Info

Year: 1911-1925 / 2019
Duration: c. 6:15
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Piano
Publisher: Baton Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - €127.00 | Score Only (print) - €24.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet Solo I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Harp
Timpani
Percussion, including:

Bass Drum
Crash Cymbals
Glockenspiel
Snare Drum
Triangle
Tubular Bells

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The Christmas Overture was originally conceived as incidental music for a 'charming poetical fairy drama' by Alfred Noyes, The Forest of Wild Thyme. It is a nicely put-together piece, being more than just a potpourri of Christmas tunes, but cleverly integrating some famous carols like Hark the Herald Angels Sing and God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen into a pleasantly coherent work.

- Program Note from Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music

The Forest of Wild Thyme was incidental music to a play by Alfred Noyes. The play was never staged with Coleridge-Taylor's music. The composer may not have reached the point of orchestrating the music. Four of the movements were issued as piano scores, and The Christmas Overture was issued in an orchestration by Sydney Baynes in 1925

- Program Note from IMSLP

Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

United States Coast Guard Band (New London, Conn.) (Jeffrey Spinner, conductor) - 11 December 2022
University of California Davis Concert Band (Pete Nowlen, conductor) - 1 December 2021

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Danse Negre (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Bukin) (1898/2020)

All Wind Works

Ballade (tr. Patterson) (1898/)
Christmas Overture (tr. Bodin) (1911-1925/2019)
Christmas Overture (arr. Derharke) (1911-1925/2022)
Danse Negre (arr. Bukin) (1898/2020)
Danse Negre (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Bukin) (1898/2020)
Lift Up Your Heads (tr. Williams) (1892/2022)
O Ye That Love the Lord (tr. Williams) (1892/2022)
Othello Suite (arr. Winterbottom) (1909/1922)
- Children's Intermezzo (arr. Winterbottom) (1909/1922)
Othello Suite (arr. Winterbottom; ed. Asendorf) (1909/1922/2019[?])
Petite Suite de Concert (tr. Winterbottom) (1911/1917)

Resources

"The Forest of Wild Thyme, Op.74 (Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel)." IMSLP. Web. Accessed 28 November 2021
Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "Samuel Coleridge-Taylor." Accessed 28 November 2021
Perusal score