Let Me Be Frank with You (2021)

From Wind Repertory Project
John Mackey

John Mackey


General Info

Year: 2020 / 2021
Duration: c. 3:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Osti Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $145.00; (digital) - $145.00   |   Score Only (print) - $25.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
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 (harmon and straight mutes needed)
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass (optional)
Timpani
Percussion (5 players), including:

  • Bass Drum
  • China Cymbal
  • Crash Cymbals
  • EFX (or equivalent)
  • Kick Drum
  • Snare Drum
  • Splash Cymbal
  • Tambourine
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

In the summer of 2020, in the midst of COVID, I desperately felt like I needed to write something joyful. So I started writing, and after about 24 measures, I had this terrible feeling -- not uncommon for composers -- that maybe the piece I was writing had already been written. And in this case, I feared that I had just plagiarized Frank Ticheli.

I sent the opening to Frank, who was incredibly gracious in his response. He said that he had NOT written this tune -- although it’s clear that he could have. This is a Ticheli-esque tune if ever I had written one!

It turns out that if I think “let’s just write 3 minutes of joyful fun,” my brain jumps to “you mean Ticheli with an excessive amount of snare drum and a few extra wrong notes.”

Thank you to Frank Ticheli -- to whom the piece is dedicated -- for his inspiration.

- Program Note by composer


Media


State Ratings

  • Texas: IV. Complete


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro) Symphonic Band (Craig Cornish, conductor) - 24 October 2023
  • University of Maryland (College Park) Wind Ensemble (Andrea Brown, conductor) - 19 March 2023
  • University of Texas (Austin) Texas Concert Band (Cliff Croomes, conductor) – 19 February 2023
  • Lamar University (Beaumont, Texas) Wind Ensemble (Andrew McMahan, conductor) – 26 March 2022 and 25 April 2022


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources