Music for a Festival

Gordon Jacob

Subtitle: For Military Band, with Interludes for Trumpets and Trombones

General Info

Year: 1951
Duration: 33:50
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $85.00 | Score Only (print) - $33.50

Movements

1. Intrada - 1:45
2. Overture - 3:55
3. Round of Seven Parts - 2:00
4. Air - 3:20
5. Interlude - 3:10
6. March - 2:30
7. Saraband- 3:55
8. Scherzo - 1:45
9. Madrigal - 4:05
10. Minuet and Trio - 6:05
11. Finale - 1:20

Instrumentation

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

Bass Drum
Cymbal (crash)
Snare Drum
Timpani
Triangle

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

This work, consisting of 11 movements, was commissioned by the Arts Council of Great Britain for the Festival of Britain in 1951. The general structure of the composition is an alternation of movements between brass choir and full band. The writing for brass calls on their several resources: brilliance, fullness, and at times delicacy, and choral style. The sections for band are written in a refreshing vein and serve as a contrast to the other sections. The suite is reminiscent of the classical suite both in arrangement and in the style of several of the movements.

- Program Note from Program Notes for Band

Commercial Discography

Audio CD: Composer's Collection: Gordon Jacob. North Texas Wind Symphony (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor) - 2008
Audio CD: North Texas Wind Symphony (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor) - 2008

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Michigan State University (East Lansing) Concert Band/Campus Band (Arris Golden, conductor) – 18 February 2020
University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) Clinic Honor Band IV (Matthew Alosi, conductor) – 2 February 2020
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Indiana, Penn.) Symphony Band (Jason Worzbyt, conductor) – 7 December 2019
Brock University (St. Catharines, Ont.) Wind Ensemble (Zoltan Kalman, conductor)– 2 April 2019
Penn State University (University Park) Symphonic Band (Dennis Glocke, conductor) – 14 February 2019
University of the Pacific (Stockton, Calif.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Eric Hammer, conductor) - 18 February 2017 (2017 CASMEC Conference, San Jose)
High School Symphonic Band [Interlochen, Mich.] (Frederick Fennell, conductor) - 6 August 1978

Works for Winds by This Composer

The Battell (as transcriber) (1964)
Cameos for Bass Trombone and Wind Band
Celebration Overture (1984)
Concerto for Band (1969)
Concerto for Bassoon and Strings (or Band) (1948)
Concerto for Horn (tr. Rogers) (1951)
Concerto for Timpani and Band (1984/1988)
Concerto for Trombone (1956/1995)
Concerto for Trombone (arr. Denis Wick) (1956/1999)
Divertimento in E-flat for Wind Octet (1969)
Double Concerto for Clarinet and Trumpet and Band (1929/1979/1983)
Fantasia for Euphonium and Band (1969/1973)
Fantasia on an English Folk Song (1984)
First Saxophone Quartet. See: Saxophone Quartet No. 1
Flag of Stars (1956)
Giles Farnaby Suite
Moorside March (as arranger) (1928/1960)
More Old Wine in New Bottles (1978)
Music for a Festival (1951)
Old Wine in New Bottles (1958)
An Original Suite (1928)
Overture: Alexandra Palace (1975/1994)
Prelude to a Comedy
Saxophone Quartet No. 1 (1974)
Saxophone Quartet No. 2 (1979)
Second Saxophone Quartet. See: Saxophone Quartet No. 2
Sir Godfrey Kneller's March
Suite in B-flat
Sweet Nightingale
Symphony AD 78
Tribute to Canterbury (1972/1977)
William Byrd Suite (1924/1960)
William Byrd Suite (ed. Trachsel) (1924/1960/2007)

Resources

Jacob, G. (1951). Music for a Festival: For Military Band, with Interludes for Trumpets and Trombones [score]. Boosey & Hawkes: London.
Miles, Richard B., and Larry Blocher. 2002. Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Volume 4. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 664-669.
Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, pp. 321.