Colorado Springs

Philip Sparke

Philip Sparke

Subtitle: Suite for Band

General Info

Year: 2007
Duration: c. 9:47
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Anglo Music, through De Haske
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - €198.99   |   Score Only (print) - €25.50

Movements

1. The Springs Fanfare
2. Seven Falls
3. Pikes Peak

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II (II doubling English Horn)
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 Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:

• Bass Drum
• Crash Cymbals
• Glockenspiel
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Tambourine
• Tam-tam
• Triangle
• Vibraphone
• Wood Block
• Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Colorado Springs, home of the USAF Academy, is set in spectacular landscape towards the southern end of the Rocky Mountains and is a popular tourist resort for skiing and hiking. The Academy plays an important part in the life of the area and serves as a base for the USAFA Band, one of the professional bands forming part of the musical life of the U.S. Air Force. The suite is in three movements:

1. The Springs Fanfare. "The Springs" is the locals’ name for the town, and this first movement starts with a stirring fanfare for brass and percussion, opening with bold unison horns. The rest of the brass join in and woodwind add decorative figures. After a short change of style, the opening material reappears to close the movement.

2. Seven Falls. Seven Falls is a spectacular waterfall near to the town which cascades 181 feet in seven distinct steps down a solid cliff of Pikes Peak granite. In this movement, high woodwinds describe the sparkling water as it descends to a popular lookout post near the bottom of the falls.

3. Pikes Peak. To the north-west of the town and reaching an altitude 14,110 feet, Pikes Peak is the farthest east of the big peaks in the Rocky Mountain chain, which contributed to its early fame among explorers and pioneers, and made it the symbol of the 1859 Gold Rush to Colorado with the slogan, ‘Pikes Peak or Bust’. It is the second-most visited mountain in the world behind Japan's Mount Fuji.

This atmospheric movement describes the majesty of the mountain and is based around the fanfare from the first movement. Opening on a solitary bassoon, it is not long before the main theme appears under bubbling woodwinds. The music reaches a passionate climax at which point the opening fanfare reappears to bring the whole work to a close.

Colorado Springs was commissioned by the United States Air Force Academy Band, Lieutenant Steve Grimo, Commander/Conductor.

- Program Note by composer

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Works for Winds by This Composer

• Atlantic Odyssey (2010)
• Ballad for Benny (2001)
• The Bandwagon (2004)
• Barn Dance and Cowboy Hymn (1985)
• Beethoven's Greeting (2008)
• Between the Two Rivers (2003)
• Big Sky Overture (2002)
• Blazon (2010)
• A Bluegrass Overture (2017)
• Bohemian Rhapsody as arranger) (1975/2011)
• Bolero (as arranger) (1928/2011)
• Cambridge Intrada (2007)
• The Camelot Chronicles (2007)
• Carnival (1997)
• Carol of the Shepherds (2001)
• Celebration (1993)
• The Centurion (1988/2000)
• Chorale and Variations (2004)
• Clarinet Calypso (2003)
• Clarinet Concerto (2003)
• Colditz March (as arranger) (1972/2014)
• Colorado Springs (2007)
• A Colour Symphony (2015)
• Concert Prelude (1976/2000)
• Concertino Classico (2010)
• Dance Movements (1995)
• Dance of the Whale (2013/2014), from Bestiarium
• David of the White Rock (as arranger) (1741/2003)
• Deserts (2008)
• Diamond Concerto (2012)
• Diversions (1999)
• Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes (1790/2011)
• The Earl of Oxford's Marche (as arranger) (1581-91/2006)
• Earth, Water, Sun, Wind (2000)
• An English Sea Song Suite (2006)
• Euphonium Concerto No. 2 (2005)
• Exultation (2010)
• Fanfare for Saint Cecilia (2008)
• Fanfare, Romance and Finale (1990)
• Fantasy for Euphonium (1995)
• A Festive Tribute (J.S. Bach) (2007)
• Fiesta! (1998)
• Fiesta de la Vida (2005/2006)
• Five Festive Fanfares (2000)
  • Victory Fanfare
• Flying the Breeze (2002/2004)
• The Four Noble Truths (2003/2004)
• Four Norfolk Dances (2001)
• Gemini Concerto (2017/2019)
• Girl with the Flaxen Hair, The (as arranger) (1910/2007)
• Hail the Dragon! (2010)
• Harlequin (2004)
• Hanover Festival (2000)
• A Huntingdon Celebration (2003)
• Infinity and Beyond... (2001)
• Invictus (2001)
• Jubilee Overture (1983)
• Jubiloso (2008/2009)
• A Klezmer Karnival (2004)
• The Land of the Long White Cloud (1980/1988)
• Letter from Home (2008)
• A Lindisfarne Rhapsody (1998)
• The Long Day Closes (as arranger) (1868/2007)
• MacArthur Park (as arranger) (1967/2005)
• Madrigalum (2006)
• Måndalen Landscapes (2004)
• Manhattan (2004)
• Marchissimo (2004)
• Mary's Boy Child (as arranger) (1956/2003)
• Masquerade (2003)
• Merry-Go-Round (2002)
• Morning Song (2002)
• Mountain Song (1990/1993)
• Music for a Festival (1985)
• Music of the Spheres (2004)
• Navigation Inn (2000)
• Once in Royal David’s City (as arranger) (1849/2004)
• Orient Express (1987/1994)
• Out of the Darkness, Into the Light (2003)
• Overture for Woodwinds (2000)
• The Painted Desert (2004)
• Panis Angelicus (as arranger) (1872/2001)
• Pantomime (1988/1996)
• Pastime with Good Company (as arranger) (15--?/2005)
• The Pioneers (2005)
• Portrait of a City (2002)
• Postcard from Singapore (2004)
• A Quiet Moment (2007)
• Reflections (2011)
• Reflections on an Old Japanese Folk Song (2015)
• Rhythm and Blues (arr. Wheeler) (1986/2012)
• The Roaring Forties (2008)
• Sailing with the Tall Ships (2012)
• Salute to a Hero (2009)
• A Savannah Symphony (2010)
• Scenes from a Comedy (2007)
• The Seasons (2005)
• Shalom! (2001)
• Sierra Nevada (2006)
• Sinfonietta No. 1 (1990)
• Sinfonietta No. 2 (1992)
• Sinfonietta No. 3 (2001)
• Sleepers, Awake! (as transcriber) (1731/2002)
• Slipstream (1987/1990)
• Snow Valley Sleigh Ride (2007)
• Song and Dance (arr. Brand) (1984/2009)
• Song of Friendship (2017)
• The Song of the Bell (2012)
• Sounds of the Saint Lawrence (2008)
• Spirit of the Sequoia (2004)
• St. Paul's Suite (as arranger) (1912-1913/2017)
• Strathcarron (2002)
• Suite from Hymn of the Highlands (2002)
• Summer Isles (2002/2006)
• The Sun Will Rise Again (2011)
• Sunrise at Angel's Gate (2001)
• Symphonic Metamorphosis (2007)
• Symphony No. 1. See: Earth, Water, Sun, Wind
• Symphony No. 2. See: A Savannah Symphony
• Symphony No. 3. See: A Colour Symphony
• Tales of the River Wye (2007)
• Tallis' Canon (arr. Sparke) (/2012)
• Tameside Overture (1989)
• Te Deum Prelude (as arranger) (1688-1698/2001)
• Ten Chorale Preludes (as arranger) (1914/2002)
• Theatre Music (1989)
• Three English Folk Song Miniatures (2013)
• Three Extraordinary Journeys (2006)
• Three Klezmer Miniatures (2009)
• Three Washington Statues (2015)
• To a New Dawn (2000)
• To a Wild Rose (as arranger) (1896/2002)
• Tokyo Triptych (2007)
• Trombone Concerto (2007)
• Tuba Concerto (2007)
• The Unknown Journey (2014)
• Valerius Variations (2005)
• Veni Immanuel (2003)
• Watch Your Step! (2017)
• A Weekend in New York (2008)
• The White Rose (2002)
• Wilten Festival Overture (1999)
• A Winter's Tale (2010)
• Year of the Dragon (1984/1985)
• Year of the Dragon (2017 edition) (1984/1985/2017)
• A Yorkshire Overture (1991)

Resources

• Perusal score
• Philip Sparke website Accessed 22 March 2021