Bonsai Tree, The

Julie Giroux

Julie Giroux

General Info

Year: 2010
Duration: c. 2:45
Difficulty: II (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Musica Propria
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $60.00   |   Score Only (print) - $7.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

• Bass Drum
• Chimes
• Crash Cymbals
• Finger Cymbals
• Gong
• Marimba
• Orchestra Chimes
• Suspended Cymbal
• Vibraphone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Sandai-Shogun no Matsu, a five-needle pine bonsai (Pinus pentaphylla var. negishi) is considered one of Japan’s national treasures. The tree is at least 500 years old and is considered to be one of the oldest known living bonsai trees. It is documented as having been cared for by Tokugawa Iemitsu (August 12, 1604 - June 8, 1651) who was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. Sandai-Shogun no Matsu is housed in the Tokyo Imperial Palace. "Although the center of this famous tree’s trunk is now totally hollow, it has been carefully nurtured for generations, and gazing at its gnarled form today, a sense of awe is felt at the forceful destiny that has allowed such a small piece of life to survive for so many centuries."

- Program Note from publisher

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
• Audio CD: Scott County High School Symphonic Winds (Marilyn Harris, conductor) - 2010]

State Ratings

• Minnesota: III
• Wisconsin: Event 3000 Concert Band Class C

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• University of Colorado (Boulder) Campus Band (Lauren Milbourn, conductor) - 17 April 2023
• Heritage High School (Menifee, Calif.) Concert Band (Jacob Gerona, conductor) - 2 June 2022
• Florence Chapel Middle School (Duncan, S.C.) Symphonic Band (Alicia Crutchlow, conductor) – 24 February 2022 (CBDNA 2022 Southern Conference, Columbia, S.C.)
• Colorado Mesa University (Grand Junction) Best of the West Honor Band: Symphonic Band (Genice Matzke, conductor) - 11 December 2021
• University of Illinois (Champaign) Wind Orchestra (Chip DeStefano, conductor) – 6 November 2018
• Thompson Junior High School (Oswego, Ill.) (Dan Harrison) – 28 April 2016
• Exeter (Calif.) Union High School Symphonic Band (Kirk Clague, conductor) - 13 March 2016 (2016 Sutherland Wind Festival (Fresno, Calif.)
• Cardinal Heights Upper Middle School (Sun Prairie, Wisc.) Eighth Grade Symphonic Band (Ian Melrose, conductor) – 12 March 2015
• Scott County High School (Georgetown, Ky.) Symphonic Winds (Marilyn Harris, conductor) – 10 December 2010 (2010 Midwest Clinic)

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

• The Bonsai Tree (Flex instrumentation) (2010/2020)
• Chanukkah, Oh Chanukkah (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
• Hark the Herald Angels Sing (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1739/2020)
• I'll Be Home A-fore Ye (Flex instrumentation) (2003/2020)
• Market Bridge (Flex instrumentation) (2013/2020)
• One Life Beautiful (Flex instrumentation) (2010/2020)
• Opa! (Flex instrumentation) (2017/2020)
• Our Cast Aways (Flex instrumentation) (2018/2020)
• A Time to Dance (2006) (Flex instrumentation) (2006/2020)

All Wind Works

• Across the Isle of Skye
• Af-free-kah! (2013)
• All Good Things (2003)
• All Through the Night (as arranger) (2011)
• Always (2019)
• Amaranthine (2008)
• Appalachian Portrait (2017)
• Arcus IX
• The Ash Grove (2019)
• Autumn Rose (2017)
• Away in a Manger (as arranger) (2011)
• Before the Sun (2013)
• Beyond Measure (2023)
• Beyond the Gates (2022)
• The Bench by the Sea (2017)
• The Blue Marble (2022)
• The Bonsai Tree (2010)
• Bookmarks from Japan (2013)
• Boston Liberties (2003)
• Burning the Wickerman (2020)
• Carnaval! (2013)
• Celestial Seas (2014)
• Chanukkah, Oh Chanukkah (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
• Chorale for Wind Band and Melodic Percussion (as arranger) (2015)
• Christmas and Sousa Forever (as arranger) (2010)
• Christmas Toons (2012)
• Christmas with Mozart (2007)
• Circus Franticus (2001)
• Córdoba (2013)
• Crown of Thorns (1998)
• Culloden (2000)
  • Culloden I and II
  • Culloden III
• Dragon Sky (2015)
• Dream Dancer (2005)
• The Elements. See: Symphony No. 5
• Empire (2006)
• An Epic Fanfare. See: Three Fanfares
• Fantasy in French (2012)
• Fields of Gold (2019)
• The First Noel (as arranger)
• Fort McHenry Suite (2000)
• Freedom Rising (2017)
• Glenbury Grove (2009)
• Glorious Light (2019)
• Godspeed (2023)
• The Grace in Being (2013)
• The Greatest Generation (2002)
• Hands of Mercy (2001)
• HardDrive (2010)
• Hark the Herald Angels Sing (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1739/2020)
• Hark! Those Bells Are Smokin’ (2011)
• The Hearthstone (2016)
• Husaria Cavalry Overture (2006)
• Hymn for the Innocent (2016)
• I Got Rhythm for Christmas (2012)
• Il Burlone (2000)
• I'll Be Home A'fore Ye (2006)
• I'll Be Home A-fore Ye (Flex instrumentation) (2003/2020)
• I'll Be Home for Christmas (as arranger) (1943/)
• Imbizo (2007)
• Impressions (2013)
• In My Father's Eyes (2017)
• In the Bleak Midwinter (as arranger) (1906/2018)
• Incantations (2019)
• Integrity Fanfare and March
• Italian Rhapsody (2005)
• Jerusalem (as arranger)
• Jingle Them Bells (as arranger) (1857/2011)
• Journey Through Orion (2006)
• Just Flyin'! (2015)
• K2 (2012)
• Kalanu (2002)
• Khan (2008)
• La Mezquita de Córdoba (2005)
• Legacy (2011)
• Let Your Spirit Sing (2003)
• The Little Drummer Boy's Bolero
• The Little Sparrow
• Louisiana Parish Sketches (2001)
• Mambo Perro Loco (2008)
• March of the Sun Dried Tomatoes (2000)
• Market Bridge (Flex instrumentation) (2013/2020)
• Medalist Fanfare (2013)
• Mile High (2023)
• Moonshine. See: Shine
• Movin' on Down the Line (2009)
• My Soul to Keep (2019)
• Mystery on Mena Mountain (1985)
• Mythic (2021)
• The Nature of the Beast (2001)
• Nearer, My God, To Thee (as arranger) (2010)
• Nihonbashi. See: Market Bridge
• No Finer Calling (2006)
• No Man's Land (2017)
• Nothing That Is (2000)
• Nutcracker Fantasia (as arranger) (1891/2012)
• O Holy Night (arr. Giroux) (1847/2011)
• Of Blood and Stone (2015)
• Of Silence and Sparrows (2022)
• One Life Beautiful (2010)
• One Life Beautiful (Flex instrumentation) (2010/2020)
• One Torch, Two Women, Three Ships and Men Rejoicing (2011)
• Opa! (2018)
• Ouachita (1987)
• Our Cast Aways (2018)
• Our Cast Aways (Flex instrumentation) (2018/2020)
• Outlander (2010)
• Overture in Five Flat (2010)
• Paprikash (2014)
• Peter Patapan (2011)
• Poseidon (2010)
• Primality 2006)
• Prisoner of the Ring (1986)
• Radiant Shadows (2016)
• Rain Softly on Me (2022)
• The Red Baron Drummer
• Riften Wed (2013)
• River Shannon (2020)
• Shadow Falls (2013)
• Shine (2017)
• Silent Night in Gotham (as arranger) (1818/2009)
• Space Symphony (1986/1991)
• The Speed of Heat (2010)
• Stealing Home (2016)
• A Stocking Full of Composers (2009)
• Strathcona Suite (2012)
• Sun Catcher (2022)
• Swashbuckler (2010)
• Symphony No. 1. See: Culloden
• Symphony No. 2. See: A Symphony of Fables
• Symphony No. 3. See: No Finer Calling
• Symphony No. 4. See: Bookmarks from Japan
• Symphony No. 5 (2017)
• Symphony No. 6. see: The Blue Marble
• A Symphony of Fables (2006)
• Taboo for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble
• Three Fanfares (2003)
• Three Wise Guys (2011)
• Tiger Tail March (2000)
• A Time to Dance (2006)
• To Walk with Wings (2000)
• Trillium
• The Twelve Days of Christmas (2012)
• The Twelve Gallon Hat (2013)
• Under the Influence (2022)
• Under the Willow (2015)
• A Very Merry Heart and Soul
• Vigils Keep (2005)
• Vortex (2015)
• Wagon Trail (2003)
• West Wind Overture (2012)
• What Child Is That Playing Carol of the Bells? (as arranger) (2011)
• What Goes in the Night (2000)
• When Country Comes to Town (2008)
• Where the Red Fern Grows (2016)
• Wild West Overture
• Winter from "The Four Seasons" (as arranger) (1725/)
• Without You
• Wolves in Moonlight (2019)
• Zephyr, Chorale and Dance (2012)

Resources

• Bright, Jeff. "The Bonsai Tree." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 10, Compiled and edited by Richard Miles, 328-335. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2015.
• Giroux, J. (2010). The Bonsai Tree [score]. Musica Propria: San Antonio, Tex.
• The Horizon Leans Forward..., compiled and edited by Erik Kar Jun Leung, GIA Publications, 2021, p. 334-335.
• Julie Giroux website Accessed 10 July 2021
• "Tokugawa Iemitsu's Pine."Magical Miniature Landscapes. Web. Accessed 13 Feb 2021