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Earth Song for Band

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Frank Ticheli

Frank Ticheli


General Info

Year: 2012
Duration: c. 3:30
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Unaccompanied voice
Publisher: Manhattan Beach Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $125.00   |   Score Only - $16.50


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat 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
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
Percussion, including:

  • Glockenspiel
  • Triangle
  • Vibraphone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Earth Song for concert band is the grandchild of Sanctuary for concert band. Almost as soon as I completed Sanctuary, I became intrigued by the idea of making a choral version of at least part of the work.

Within the same year, I realized this goal, inventing a poem that reflected the music’s poignant lyricism, fitting the rhythmic stresses and melodic contour of Sanctuary]]’S melody. Thus, Earth Song for chorus came to be.

Six years after composing Sanctuary, in 2012 I received an email from Frank Troyka, director of bands at Berkner High School in Richardson, Texas, inquiring if I might consider making a concert band version of Earth Song for one of his colleagues.

The irony of his request was not lost on either of us, but we both agreed that, in a sense, this full circle back to the music’s concert band origins would allow me to create a grandchild possessing the genetic strengths of both its ancestors: the rich textured lyricism and more concise nature of its choral forebear, combined with the wider color palette and expressive power of its concert band forebear.

Thus, Earth Song for concert band was born: a more concise (and less technically demanding) descendant of Sanctuary.

- Program Note from score


With sweeping melodic lines and intense dynamic contrast, Frank Ticheli captures the gamut of emotion with this beautiful transcription for band. Originally composed for unaccompanied voices with his own text as inspiration and sampled works such as Sanctuary, Earth Song unites the power of words and images with melody, harmony, and dynamics to blend this work into a tonal analogue of emotive life. The following is an excerpt from Ticheli’s original text:

But music and singing have been my refuge,
And music and singing shall be my light.
A light of song, shining strong.
Through darkness and pain and strife, I’ll sing II be . . . Live . . .See.

Commissioned by and dedicated to the Faubion Middle School Band for its performance at the 2012 Midwest Clinic.

- Program note by Faubion Middle School Symphonic I Band concert program, 20 December 2012


Media


State Ratings

  • Texas: III. Complete


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Oklahoma Baptist University (Shawnee) Symphonic Winds (Timothy Kaiser, conductor) - 3 March 2023
  • Barbers Hill High School (Mont Belvieu, Tx.) Concert Band (Andrew Kier, conductor) - 21 April 2021
  • Central DeWitt (Iowa) High School Concert Band (Josh Greubel, conductor) – 9 March 2020
  • University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) Maroon Band (Lance Sample, conductor) – 2 December 2019
  • Texas A&M University (Lubbock) Concert Band (Russell Tipton, conductor) – 13 October 2019
  • The Ohio State University (Columbus) University Band (Alexander Gonzalez, conductor) – 28 February 2019
  • Faubion Middle School (McKinney, Tx.) Symphonic Band (Brian Beck, conductor) – 20 December 2012 (2012 Midwest Clinic) *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

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