December Dance

Andrew Boysen, Jr.

General Info

Year: 2005
Duration: c. 9:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Neil A. Kjos
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $95.00 | Score Only (print) - $10.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone
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
Bongos
Castanets
Marimba
Orchestra Chimes
Sandpaper Blocks
Slapstick
Suspended Cymbal
Tambourine
Temple Blocks
Tom-Tom (4)
Triangle
Vibraphone
Wood Block

Cello

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Crisp, icy rhythms and shimmering sonorities abound in this exciting piece. Two distinct themes bounce around the ensemble and combine at the end of the work for an uplifting climax that will have everyone dancing in the aisles.

- Program Note from publisher

December Dance was commissioned by Matthew George and the University of St. Thomas Wind Ensemble and premiered by that group on December 8, 2005. It is the fourth commission I have received from Dr. George and therefore represents the continuation of a significant musical relationship for me. Dr. George and I have grown to be close friends and I have enormous respect for all that he has done as a conductor, teacher, and administrator with the program at the University of St. Thomas.

Matt’s only request of me with this piece was that I write something unlike the pieces that I had written for him before. Since those had either been highly emotional and dramatic works, or somewhat esoteric works, I decided that this one should be energetic, fun, and happy, reflecting my own personal state of mind at the time.

- Program Note by composer

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: University of St. Thomas Wind Ensemble (Matthew George, conductor) - 2016

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire Symphony Band (Phillip A. Ostrander, conductor) - 14 October 2022
Messiah College (Mechanicsburg, Penn.) Symphonic Winds (Travis Weller, conductor) – 8 November 2018
Quad City Wind Ensemble (Davenport, Iowa) (Brian Hughes, conductor) – December 2016
La Sierra University (Riverside) Wind Ensemble (Ken Narducci, conductor) – 11 March 2010 (CBDNA 2010 Western/Northwestern Division Conference, Reno, Nev.)

Works for Winds by This Composer

Alchemy (2008/2013)
All the Pretty Little Horses. See: Three Folk Song Settings for Band
Ancient Runes (2017)
Apples (2018)
Branden's Rainbow (1997/2002)
Bright Sunny Days (2013)
By My Side (2018)
Casus Belli (2018)
Celebration In Brass (1995)
Concerto for Percussion (as transcriber) (1994/1997)
Conversations with the Night (1994)
Dance, from All Hail the Power
December Dance (2005)
Diamond Jubilee Suite (2018)
Distorted Images: A Jazzman's Nightmare (1989)
A Fallen Leaf (2004)
Fanfare: In Memoriam (2015)
Fantasy on a Theme by Sousa (2003)
Frenzy (2010)
The Four Horsemen (1989)
A Glimpse through the Trees (2014)
Grant Them Eternal Rest (2003)
Havener Fanfare (2012)
Heirloom (2009)
I Am (1990)
John Henry (1990)
Joyride (2003/2008)
Kinetic Energy (1994)
Kirkpatrick Fanfare (1999)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (2006)
Metamorphosis (2013)
Old Ben's Farm (2016/2019)
On the Merrimack (2010)
Ovations (1995)
Phoenix (2020)
Poor Wayfaring Stranger. See: Three Folk Song Settings for Band
Relentless (2000)
Scarborough Fair. See: Three Folk Song Settings for Band
Scherzo (1995)
Scherzo No 2 (2013)
Shades of Ivory (1996)
Simple Song (1995)
Snowflakes Dancing (2012/2016)
Song for Lyndsay (2005)
Song for My Children (2013)
Song for My Parents (2020)
Song of Loudest Praise, A (2010)
Song of the Sea Maidens (1994)
Stamp, from A Jack Stamp Suite (2017)
Star-Crossed (2013)
Symphony No. 1 for Winds and Percussion (1997)
Symphony No. 3 (1999)
Symphony No. 4 (2006)
Symphony No. 6 (2012)
Symphony No. 8 (2015-2016)
- Winter of the World
Symphony No. 10 (2019)
This Is the Drum (2013)
Thoughts of You (1998)
Three Folk Song Settings for Band
- Poor Wayfaring Stranger (2007/2012)
- All the Pretty Little Horses (as arranger) (2014)
- Scarborough Fair (as arranger) (2013)
Time Streams (After Tricycle) (2011)
To Break Earth's Sleep (2015)
Tricycle (1997)
Twilight of the Gods (2010)
An Uncommon Man (1993)
Unraveling (2006)
Urban Scenes (1993)
The Vikings (2015)

Resources

Andrew Boysen Jr. website Accessed 9 November 2018
Perusal score