Suite from "Henry V"

From Wind Repertory Project
William Walton

William Walton (arr. Dan Phillips)


General Info

Year: 1944 / 1980
Duration: c. 12:00
Difficulty: IV+ (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Symphony
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - Rental


Movements

1. Overture: “The Globe Playhouse”
2. Passacaglia: “The Death of Falstaff”
3. Charge and Battle
4. Touch Her Soft Lips and Part
5. Agincourt Song


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo I-II
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
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
E-flat Trumpet
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Harp
Timpani
Percussion, including:

  • Chimes
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Snare Drums (3)
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Tabors (2)


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

When William Walton was drafted into military service at the beginning of World War II, the British Ministry of Information thought he could do more for the war effort as a composer rather than a combatant, and requested that he write music for patriotic films. He responded with music for four movies in 1942, the most successful of which was a propaganda film entitled The First of the Few. Walton also composed music for several films starring Sir Laurence Olivier based on the works of Shakespeare, including Hamlet, Richard III, and Henry V. Olivier’s famous portrayal of Henry V in the classic 1944 film begins with a performance at the Globe Theater and then transforms into an intense retelling of Henry’s rise from disillusioned youth to the powerful monarch who embarked on a bold conquest of France in the Hundred Years’ War of 1415.

The musical themes for the film follow the intense drama of this cinematic rendition of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, from royal processions and fierce battles to the private and tender moments between the monarch and Princess Katherine, to whom Henry was betrothed as part of a brokered peace treaty. The concert suite of music from the film includes the central themes from Walton’s inspired score.

- Program Note from U.S. Marine Band concert program, 24 March 2016


Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Arizona State University (Tempe) Wind Symphony (Jamal Duncan, conductor) - 2 November 2022
  • United States Marine Band (Washington, D.C.) (Jason K. Fettig, conductor) – 14 March 2016


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

  • Walton, W.; Phillips, D. (1980). Suite from Henry V [score]. Oxford University Press: New York.