Old Boatman, The
Florence Beatrice Price (arr. Dana Paul Perna)
General Info
Year: 1933 / 2022
Duration: c. 4:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Piano
Publisher: Southern Music, through Hal Leonard
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $60.00 | Score Only (print) - $10.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Flute I-II (II doubling Piccolo)
Oboe I-II
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 Cornet I-II-III
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:
- Bass Drum
- Bells
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tam-Tam
- Triangle
- Vibraphone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Florence Price is noted as the first African-American woman composer to be recognized as a symphonic composer. Her Symphony No. 1 in E minor was premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1933.
In 2009, a substantial collection of her unpublished works were discovered in an abandoned house in St. Anne, Illinois, many of which are only now coming to light. The Old Boatman is one such work. This short, melodic work was composed for piano.
- Program Note from Sonoma State University Concert Band concert program, 11 October 2022
The Old Boatman is a two-page piano piece Florence Price (1887-1953) composed for the benefit of her developing piano students. Upon hearing it, Dana
Paul Perna found it very reminiscent of Edvard Grieg, specifically his Lyric Pieces, and 19 Norwegian Folk Tunes, Op. 66. With that in mind, he proceeded
to score her work in a literal transcription for string orchestra in 2002.
- Program Note from orchestral score
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Louisville (Ky.) Concert Band (Acton Ostling, Jr., conductor) - 21 December 2023 (2023 Midwest Clinic)
- Indiana Wind Symphony (Carmel) (Jay Gephart, conductor) - 1 October 2023
- Hillcrest Wind Ensemble (San Diego, Calif.) (Christian Tordahl, conductor) - 25 March 2023
- Southern Indiana (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble (Stephen Pratt, conductor) - 10 November 2022
- Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park, Calif.) Concert Band (Andy Collingsworth, conductor) - 11 October 2022
Works for Winds by this Composer
Adaptable Music
- Adoration (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Wasson) (1951/2020)
All Wind Works
- Adoration (tr. Williams) (1951/2022)
- Adoration (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Wasson) (1951/2020)
- Dances in the Canebrakes (orch. Still; arr. Brown) (1953/)
- Fantasie Négre No. 4 (tr. Taylor) (1932/2023)
- Juba Dance (arr. Bocook) ( 1932/2018/2022)
- Octet for Brasses and Piano (1930/1948-49/2021)
- The Old Boatman (arr. Perna) (1933/2022)
- Suite of Dances (arr. Hernandez) (1933/)
- Three Negro Dances (arr. Leidzén) (1933/1939)
Resources
- Florence Price website Accessed 27 September 2022
- Perusal score