Songs of the West

Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst (arr. James Curnow)

This work bears the designation Opus 21, No. 1.

General Info

Year: 1907 / 1986
Duration: c. 11:15
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: G & M Brand
Cost: Score and Parts - $130.00   |   Score Only - $15.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
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 Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV. including:

• Bass Drum
• Crash Cymbals
• Orchestra Bells
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Tambourine
• Triangle
• Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Songs of the West was written in 1901 after Holst took an interest in folk music, and was the first of his pieces to be founded on folk songs. It was created from a collection of folk songs gathered from the west of England and was a companion piece to A Somerset Rhapsody. Songs of the West differs in styles, keys, and tempos, and the nautical nature of the coastal region is evident in many of the melodies.

In 1986, composer James Curnow was commissioned to write an arrangement for band of the piece, since it was originally written for orchestra.

- Program Note from Texas A&M University Symphonic Winds concert program, 24 November 2019

Songs of the West is a companion piece to A Somerset Rhapsody. The pair -- Opus 21 No. 1 and 2 respectively -- were written in 1906/1907 and based on folk tunes collected in the west of England by Cecil Sharp and Baring Gould.

- Program Note from score

Media

• Audio CD: VanderCook College of Music Symphonic Band (Charles T. Menghini, conductor) – 2003

State Ratings

• Florida: V
• Georgia: V
• Indiana: ISSMA SENIOR BAND GROUP II
• Louisiana: V
• Texas: V. Complete

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Tualatin (Ore.) Valley Community Band (Kevin Soon, conductor) – 8 December 2019
• Texas A&M University (College Station) Symphonic Winds (Russel Tipton, conductor) – 24 November 2019
• Hardin-Simmons University Concert Band (Ryan Lovell, conductor) - 6 March 2014
• VanderCook College of Music (Chicago, Ill.) Symphonic Band (Charles Menghini, conductor) – 19 December 2003 (2003 Midwest Clinic)

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

• Chaconne from "First Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2016)
• Fantasia on the "Dargason" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2013)
• Intermezzo (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2017)
• Jupiter (arr. Deterling) (Flex instrumentation) (1916/2020)
• Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (Adaptable Band) (arr. Fisher) (1916/2020)
• March (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2010)
• March from "First Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2015)
• March from Second "Suite in F Major" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Fisher) (1911/2018)
• March from "First Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2015)
• Mars (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1916/2009)
• A Moorside March (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Wright; ed. M. Brand) (1928/2021)
• Songs from the "Second Suite" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2012)
• Suite from "The Planets" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1916/2018)

All Wind Music

• Ave Maria (tr. Woodley) (1900)
• Bach's Fugue à la Gigue (as arranger; ed. Brand). See: Fugue à la Gigue
• Bach's Fugue à la Gigue (as arranger; ed. Mitchell) (1707/1928/2005)
• Brook Green Suite (tr. Curnow) (1933/2006)
• Capriccio (tr. Boyd) (1932/1967/1974)
• Capriccio (arr. Paul Noble) (1932/1967/2019)
• Chaconne from "First Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2016)
• Chorale from Jupiter (arr. James Curnow)
• Christmas Day (arr. Daehn) (1910/2011)
• Christmas Day (arr. Beringen) (1910/2010)
• Country Song (arr. Klein) (1906)
• Dance of the Spirits of Fire (trans. Harpham) (1918/1922/1971)
• Dirge for Two Veterans
• Fantasia on the "Dargason" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2013)
• Fantasia on the "Dargason" (arr. Story) (1911/2000)
• First Suite in E-flat (1909/1921)
• First Suite in E-flat (ed. Matthews) (1909/1921/1984)
• First Suite in E-flat (ed. Ito) (1909/2011)
• First Suite in E-flat (arr. Longfield) (1909/2006)
• First Suite in E-flat for Military Band (ed. Fennell) (1909/2006)
• First Suite in E-flat Themes (arr. Sweeney). See: Themes from "First Suite in E-flat"
• A Fugal Concerto (arr. Brand) (1923/1993?)
• A Fugal Overture (arr. Noble) (1922/2014)
• A Fugal Overture (trans. Ponto) (1922)
• Fugue à la Gigue (as arranger; ed. Brand) (1707/1928/2008)
• Fugue à la Gigue (as arranger; ed. Mitchell). See: Bach's Fugue à la Gigue
• Gustav Holst Band Classics (arr. Edwards) (2020)
• Hammersmith: Prelude and Scherzo (1930)
• A Holst Hymn (arr. Smith) (1921/2022)
• A Holst Suite (trans. Thompson) (2018)
• Hymns from the Rig Veda (tr. Windram, ed. Mitchell) (1908/1917/2017)
• I Vow to Thee, My Country (setting Vaughan Williams; ed. Grechesky) (1921/1988)
• I Vow to Thee, My Country (arr. Knorr) (1921/2017)
• Illumination (arr. Gene Milford)
• In the Bleak Midwinter. See: Winter Suite
• Intermezzo (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2017)
• Japanese Suite (adapt. Boyd) (1915/1982/1999)
• Jupiter (arr. Deterling) (Flex instrumentation) (1916/2020)
• Jupiter from "The Planets" (arr. Pay and Smith) (1916/1924)
• Jupiter from "The Planets" (arr. Branchfield) (1916/2014)
• Jupiter (arr. Brown) (1916)
• Jupiter (tr. Curnow) (1916/1990)
• Jupiter (arr Hurt) from "The Planets" (arr. Hurt) (1916)
• Jupiter (arr. Owens) (1916/2006)
• Jupiter Hymn (arr. de Meij) (1916/1921/1990)
• Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (Adaptable Band) (arr. Fisher) (1916/2020)
• Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (tr. McAlister; ed. Reed) (1916/2003)
• March (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2010)
• March from "First Suite for Military Band" (arr. Story) (2011)
• March from "First Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2015)
• March from Second "Suite in F Major" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Fisher) (1911/2018)
• Marching Song (1906/1930)
• Marching Song (arr. Moss) (1906/2006)
• Marching Song (ed. Reynish) (1906/1983)
• March on Three Folk Tunes (ed. Binney) (c. 1913/2005)
• Mars (arr. Bocook) (1916/1998)
• Mars (arr. Owens) (1916/2009)
• Mars from "The Planets" (tr. Pay and Smith) (1916/1924)
• Mars, from "The Planets" (tr. Singleton) (1916/2001)
• Mars (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1916/2009)
• Midwinter (arr. Phillips) (2012)
• Moorside March (arr. Jacob) (1928/1960)
• A Moorside March (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Wright; ed. M. Brand) (1928/2021)
• A Moorside Suite (arr. Wright)
• Morris Dance Tunes (arr. Wagner) (1910/2010)
• On This Day the Earth Shall Ring (arr. Smith) (2001)
• The Perfect Fool (arr. Short) (1922/2005)
• The Planets (tr. Inagaki) (1916)
• The Planets (tr. Janssen) (1916/2017)
• The Planets (tr. Patterson) (1916/1998)
• The Planets (tr. Schrijvers) (1916/2005)
• The Planets (tr. Vives) (1916/2007?)
• The Planets (tr. Smith) (1916/1921)
• Scherzo (tr. Patterson) (1933/2021)
• Second Suite in F (ed. Fennell; score assembly Schissel) (1911/2006)
• Second Suite in F (arr. Johnston) (1911/2011)
• Second Suite in F (ed. Matthews) (1911)
• Second Suite in F (ed. Neumann) (1911)
• Second Suite in F (ed. Ito) (1911/1922/2012)
• Second Suite in F (adapt. Longfield) (1911/2007)
• Second Suite in f minor / F Major (ed. Hauswirth and Schmidt) (1911/2014)
• A Somerset Rhapsody (tr. Clare Grundman) (1906/1927/1980)
• The Song of the Blacksmith (arr. Loest) (1911/2011)
• Songs from the "Second Suite" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2012)
• Songs of the West (arr. James Curnow) (1907/1986)
• St. Paul's Suite (arr. Sparke) (1912-1913/2017)
• Suite from "The Planets" (arr. Custer) (1916/1991)
• Suite from "The Planets" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1916/2018)
• Themes from "First Suite in E-flat" (arr. Sweeney) (1909/2006)
• Three Folk Tunes (arr. Wagner) (c. 1913/2007)
• Two Songs Without Words (arr. Erickson) (1906/1996)
• Uranus (tr. Curnow) (1916/1991)
• Winter Suite
  • On This Day Earth Shall Ring (arr. Smith) (1924/2001)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Bullock) (1906/1996)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Giroux) (1906/2018)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Smith) (1906/1992)
  • Old Brenton Carol (arr. Smith) (1910/2001)

Resources

• Girsberger, Russ. Percussion Assignments for Band & Wind Ensemble. Volume I: A-K. Galesburg, MD: Meredith Music Publications, 2004, 156. Print.
• Holst, G.; Curnow, J. (1986). Songs of the West [score]. R. Smith: Aylesbury, Bucks, England.
• Perusal score