Strike Up the Band

George Gershwin

General Info

Year: 1927 / 1981 / 1997
Duration: c. 3:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Music Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts - $80.00 | Score Only - $9.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra-Alto 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, including:

Bass Drum
Bells
Crash Cymbals
Drumset
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Temple Block
Triangle
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The title says it all! What a smashing way to begin a concert, as the genius of Warren Barker's scoring launches a sound that has built-in, guaranteed excitement. The timeless melodies of George and Ira Gershwin have never been better served than in this dazzling work. Very, very high octane!

- Program note from publisher

Strike Up The Band is the title song for a musical interpretation of George S. Kaufman’s satire about a proud American owner of a cheese factory who is outraged when Switzerland protests a tariff on imported cheese and convinces the U.S. government to declare a war he would finance. George and Ira Gershwin saw this as an opportunity to write in the style of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. The 1927 production never made it out of Philadelphia, as political satire was a hard sell even in an operetta style. The inevitable boy-meets-girl story did produce the classic love song The Man I Love.

- Program note from Music Program Notes for Band and Wind Ensemble Music

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Andrews University (Berrien Springs, Mich.) Wind Symphony (Byron Graves, conductor) - 28 January 2023
Capital Pops Concert Band (Sacramento, Calif.) (Susan Hamre, conductor) - 6 June 2022
Coastal Communities Concert Band (San Diego, Calif.) (Tom Cole, conductor) – 22 August 2021
Kentucky Virginia (Whitesburg, Ky.) Summer Winds (Jason Griffith, conductor) - 1 June 2021
Heisey Wind Ensemble (Newark, Ohio) (Russel C. Mikkelson, conductor) – 27 October 2019
Petaluma (Calif.) Community Band (Dublin, Calif.) (Arlene Burney, conductor) – 9 June 2019 (Golden Gate Park, San Francisco)
Humboldt State University (Arcata, Calif.) Wind Ensemble (Paul Cummings, conductor) – 8 November 2018
Lone Star Symphonic Band (Katy, Tx.) (Bob Bryant, conductor) – 15 October 2017
Youngstown (Ohio) State University Wind Ensemble (Stephen L. Gage, conductor) – 6 September 2017
Indiana University (Bloomington) Summer Concert Band (Stephen W. Pratt, conductor) – 21 June 2017
Windham (NH) Concert Band (Donald J. Running, conductor) – 15 October 2016
Walnut Creek (Calif.) Concert Band (Harvey Bernstein, conductor) – 4 July 2016
San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra (Jennifer Martin, conductor) – 27 September 2015
Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (San Rafael, Calif.) Non-Marching Band (Adrian L. Quince, conductor) – 9 June 2013
ACB 2013 Convention Band (Cmdr. (ret.) Allen E. Beck, conductor) – 6 April 2013 (ACB’s 35th Annual Convention (San Ramon, Calif.))
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Wind Orchestra (Christopher J. Woodruff, conductor) - 8 March 2013
Heart of Texas Concert Band (Noah D. Taylor, conductor) - 2012
Capitol Pops Concert Band (Sacramento, Calif.) (Jerry Lopes, conductor) - 5 June 2011

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

I Got Rhythm (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Story) (1930/2020)
Rhapsody in Blue (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Murtha) (1924/2020)
Summertime (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Wada) (1934/2018)

All Wind Works

An American in Paris (tr. Krance) (1929/1959)
An American in Paris (arr. Brubaker) (1929/1994)
An American in Paris (arr. Hoshina) (1929/1980)
An American in Paris (arr. Nowlin) (1929/2016)
An American in Paris (arr. Satone) (1929)
An American in Paris (arr. Tamanini) (1929/2015)
An American in Paris (orch. Van Gils) (1929/1994)
But Not for Me (arr. Barker) (1930/1995/2006)
Catfish Row (arr. Hunsberger) (1934/2000)
Concerto for Piano in F (tr. Grofé) (1925/1928)
Concerto in F (arr. Jorge) (1925/2017)
Concerto in F for Piano and Wind Band (arr. Bulla) (1925/2009)
Cuban Overture (arr. Koekelkoren) (1925/1987)
Cuban Overture (arr. Milburn) (1925/)
Cuban Overture (arr. Rogers) (1933/2001)
Embraceable You (arr. Barker) (1930 / 1999)
Fascinatin' Gershwin (arr. Murtha)
Fascinating Rhythm (arr. Bulla) (1924)
Fascinating Rhythm (arr. Del Borgo) (1924/1994)
Fascinating Rhythm (arr. Taylor) (1924/1961/2006)
A Foggy Day in London Town (arr. Ninmer) (1937/)
George by Fred (arr. Frenkel)
George Gershwin (arr. Chase) (1971)
George Gershwin Selection (tr. Bennett) (1947)
Gershwin! (arr. Barker) (1997)
Gershwin: A Medley (arr. Bennett) (1972)
Gershwin by George! (arr. Brubaker) (2015)
A Gershwin Fantasy (arr. Martino) (1991)
Gershwin on Broadway (arr. Moss) (1991)
A Gershwin Portrait! (arr. Higgins) (1985)
A Gershwin Tribute to Love (arr. Heisinger) (2014)
The Great Gershwin (arr. van der Beek) (2018)
How Long Has This Been Going On? (arr. Barker) (1927/2000)
I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' (arr. Wagner) (1935/2008)
I Got Rhythm (arr. Davis) (1930)
I Got Rhythm (arr. Story) (1930/2020)
I Got Rhythm (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Story) (1930/2020)
Japanese (arr. Wagner; scored Sandler) (c. 1918/2006)
Liza (arr. Teague) (1929/1944)
The Man I Love (arr. Bergman) (1924)
March from "Strike Up the Band" (arr. Hearshen) (1927/1987)
Overture to "Strike Up the Band" (arr. Matsushiro) (1927)
Porgy and Bess: Selections (arr. Bennett) (1934/1942)
Porgy and Bess (arr. Barnes) (1934/2002)
Porgy and Bess Medley (arr. Hermann) (1934/)
Porgy and Bess Medley (arr. Lowden) (1934/1984)
Rhapsody in Blue (tr. Grofe) (1924/1938)
Rhapsody in Blue (arr. Hunsberger) (1924/1998)
Rhapsody in Blue (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Murtha) (1924/2020)
Rhapsody in Blue (arr. Verrier) (1924/1998)
Rhapsody in Blue (ed. Bañagale) (1924/2023)
Rhapsody in Blue (jazz band) (arr. Grofe) (1924)
Rhapsody in Blue (tr. Tamanini) 1924/2010)
Rialto Ripples (arr. Di Scala) (1917/2013)
'S Wonderful (arr. Barker) (1919/1996)
Second Prelude (arr. Krance) (1927/1964)
Someone to Watch Over Me (arr. Barker) (1926/1995)
Someone to Watch Over Me (arr. Rumbelow) (1926/2006)
Strike Up the Band (arr. Barker) (1927/1981/1997)
Strike Up the Band (arr. Brubaker) (1927/1994)
Strike Up the Band (arr. Moss) (1927/1967)
Strike Up the Band (arr. Nestico) (1927)
Strike Up the Band (arr. Paynter) (1927)
Strike Up the Band (arr. Pegram) (1927/1979)
Strike Up the Band (arr. Schoenfeld) (1927/1956)
Summertime (arr. Custer) (1934/1995)
Summertime (arr. Garcia; ed. Shaw) (1934)
Summertime (arr. Lang) (1934/1959)
Summertime (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Wada) (1934/2018)
Summertime from "Porgy and Bess" (arr. Longfield) (1934/2015)
Swanee (arr. Holcombe) (1919)
The Symphonic Gershwin (arr. Barker) (2011)
They Can't Take That Away from Me (arr. Barker) (1937/2001)
Three Preludes (arr. Norris) (1927/)
Three Preludes (tr. Williams) (1927/2015)
A Tribute to Gershwin (arr. Bullock) (20098)
Walking the Dog (arr. Bourgeois) (1937/2007)

Resources

Gershwin, G.; Barker, W. (1981). Strike Up the Band [score]. Warner Brothers: [New York]
Music Program Notes for Band and Wind Ensemble Music
Pease, Andy. "Strike Up the Band by George Gershwin." Wind Band Literature, 24 August 2022. Web. Accessed 25 August 2022
Perusal score