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Rolling Thunder March
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Subtitle: Trombone Ace
Contents
General Info
Year: 1916
Duration: c. 1:55
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Out of print.
This record refers to the original 1916 edition. Several other arrangements are in print.
Instrumentation
(Needed, please join the WRP if you can help.)
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Written in 1916, Rolling Thunder was dedicated to Ed Hicker, presumably a trombonist, since the march is subtitled "a trombone ace." Since its composition, Rolling Thunder has been used for diverse circus acts, including high sway poles, elephant acts, and Roman rides, at rodeos to generate excitement, and on concert programs as a show-stopper. Rolling Thunder is not only one of Henry Fillmore’s most exciting marches, it is also one of his most difficult.
- Program Note from The Grand Band Companion
The fast-paced march Rolling Thunder draws upon two important influences in Fillmore’s life: an early involvement in the circus and a lifelong fascination with the trombone. When the young Fillmore displayed an interest in the slide trombone, his father, a conservative partner in a religious music publishing firm, declared the instrument uncouth, sinful, and off-limits to his son. Fillmore’s mother snuck her son a secondhand instrument to practice in an attempt to keep him out of bigger trouble. The deception was serendipitous since Fillmore became an innovative composer for the instrument, writing signature trombone rags and often featuring the trombone section as he does in Rolling Thunder.
Fillmore’s conservative father also likely disagreed with his decision to join the circus, but this choice also resulted in innovative music. Fillmore’s role as circus bandmaster gave him the opportunity to amplify the circus experience for the audience by using music to intensify suspense or heighten the excitement. A fast and exciting show-stopper like Rolling Thunder makes hearts race and feet tap, whether in the circus ring or the concert hall.
- Program Note from U.S. Marine Band concert program, 28 July 2016
Rolling Thunder is a great circus march, as breath-taking in its excitement as the action feats by horsemen riding full tilt around the narrow confines of a sawdust track under canvas. The track is known in the circus as the Hippodrome and the music played by the band to accompany the riding is invariably exciting and driving in its manner, and it is always played at an appropriate breath-taking speed.
- Program Note by Frederick Fennell
Commercial Discography
- Audio CD: Ohio Capital Winds - 7 August 2012
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Atascadero (Calif.) Community Band (Fletcher Ferrara, conductor) – 28 October 2018
- West Virginia University, Symphonic Band (Lindsey Williams, conductor) - 17 April 2018
- Tokyo (Japan) Geidai Wind Orchestra (Masaharu Yamamoto, conductor) - 17 December 2016 (2016 Midwest Clinic)
- United States Marine Band (Washington, D.C.) (Ryan J. Nowlin, conductor) - 28 July 2016
- Indianapolis Symphonic Band (Steve Meurer, associate conductor) - 7 May 2015
- San Jose (Calif.) State University Wind Ensemble (Edward C. Harris, conductor) - 17 April 2015 (2015 San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) Concert Band Invitational)
- Foothill Symphonic Winds (Palo Alto, Calif.) (David Bruce Adams, conductor) - 7 December 2014
- Northshore Concert Band (Chicago) (Mallory Thompson, conductor) - 19 April 2015
- Bixby High School Wind Ensemble (Jeremy W. Parker, conductor) - 12 May 2014
- Mars Hill College Wind Symphony (Michael Robinson) - 18 October 2012
Works for Winds by this Composer
- 136th U.S.A. Field Artillery (2012) (arr. Foster)
- Alamo March (as Will Huff) (1916)
- Alamo March (arr. Miller) (1916/2016)
- America Exultant (arr. Glover) (1917/2004)
- Americans We (1929/1979)
- Black Mask, The (written as Al Hayes) (ed. Foster) (1914/2015)
- Bones Trombone (arr. Oliver) (1922)
- Bull Trombone (1924/1959)
- Chimes of Iron Mountain, The (1955)
- Circus Bee, The (1908/2003) (ed. Foster)
- The Circus Bee (arr. Custer) (1908/1994)
- Circus Bee, The (ed Schissel) (1908/2007) (ed. Schissel)
- Courage March (2013) (arr. Contorno)
- Courage (arr. Clark) (1919/2003/2012)
- Cradle of Liberty (as Al Hayes) (arr Laferty) (2015)
- Crosley March, The (2001) (arr. Foster)
- The Footlifter March (arr. Foster) (1935/2003)
- Footlifter March, The (ed. Blatti) (1935)
- Genius (arr. Clark) (1937/2005)
- Go: Galop (as Will Huff) (1916)
- Golden Friendships (ed. Foster) (1926/2005)
- Headway March (arr. Contorno) (1920/2014)
- His Honor March (arr. Clark) (1934/2014)
- His Honor (ed. Fennell) (1934/1978)
- His Honor March (arr. Foster) (1934/2000)
- Hot Trombone (1921)
- King Karl King (1957)
- King Karl King (ed. Foster) (1957/2007)
- Klaxon, The (1930)
- Klaxon, The (arr. Balent) (1930/1995)
- Klaxon, The (ed. Fennell) (1930/1984)
- Klaxon, The (arr. Foster) (1930/2014)
- Lassus Trombone (1915)
- Lassus Trombone (ed. Foster) (1915/2011)
- Lassus Trombone (arr. Schissel) (1915/2000)
- Lightning Fingers (arr. Foster)
- Lucky Trombone (1926)
- Man of the Hour, The (1924)
- Men of Ohio (1921/2009) (ed. Foster)
- Men of Ohio (1921)
- Miami (arr. Foster) (1938/2006)
- Military Escort (arr. Swearingen)
- Military Escort in 5 Ways (1930)
- Miss Trombone (arr. Contorno) (1908/2012)
- Miss Trombone (1908)
- Mt. Healthy (arr. Shaffer) (1916/2007)
- Noble Men (arr. Foster) (1922/2001)
- The Orange Bowl (ed. Foster) (1939/2004)
- Our Own Red, White and Blue (arr. Foster) (1917/2015)
- Playfellow (1927)
- Poet, Peasant and Light Cavalryman, The ((1915/1959)
- Precision (as Harold Bennett) (arr. Clark) (1926/2011)
- The President's March (ed. Foster) (1956/2008)
- Rolling Thunder March (1916)
- Rolling Thunder (ed. Fennell) (1916/1983)
- Rolling Thunder March (arr. Foster) (1916/2014)
- Rolling Thunder March (arr. Foster Jr.) (1916/2015)
- Rolling Thunder March (arr. Glover) (1916)
- Sally Trombone (1917)
- Shoutin' Liza Trombone (arr. Foster) (1920/2002)
- Slim Trombone (arr. Contorno) (2013)
- Star-Spangled Banner (as arranger) (1814/1934/1959/1973)
- Teddy Trombone (1911)
- Teddy Trombone (arr. de Meij) (1911)
- Teddy Trombone (arr. Foster) (1911/2013)
- U S of A Armed Forces March, The (2013) (arr. Foster)
- Waves March (1943)
- The Whistling Farm Boy (1925)
References
- Fillmore, H. (1916). Rolling Thunder: March [score]. C. Fischer: New York.
- Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "Rolling Thunder March." Accessed 3 July 2014