Bosnian Folk Songs

Fred J. Allen

General Info

Year: 1997
Duration: c. 5:20
Difficulty: II 1/2 (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: TRN Music Pub. Co.
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $65.00 | Score Only (print) - $10.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
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 Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

Bass Drum
Bells
Crash Cymbals
Snare Drum
Tambourine
Triangle
Vibraphone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

When the Hungarian composer Bela Bartok (1881-1945) collected the folk music of Yugoslavia in the early part of this [sic] century, he noted the ethnic origin of each tune. This is fortunate for us, because now Yugoslavia has been divided by strife into separate nations, one of which is Bosnia. Though there are several tunes identified as Bosnian in Bartok's collection, only two are used in this setting.

Admiration is due to the students of West Ridge Middle School, in Austin, Texas, who requested that this commissioned work draw attention to the suffering of the young people in Bosnia. Perhaps this music can remind us that even war cannot silence the joy that can be expressed in the simple folk songs of a nation. The text of the first song begins as follows:

By Sarajevo there's a green garden.
In that garden there's a well of cold water,
By the well, a marble stone,
On the stone, an aged vase
In the vase three flowers bloomed.

Commissioned by the West Ridge Middle School Band, Austin, Texas, Mr. Bob Parsons, conductor.

- Program Note from score

Media

Audio: Reference recording. University of North Texas Symphonic Band (Dennis Fisher, conductor)

State Ratings

Alabama: Class C
Florida: III
Kansas: III
Louisiana: II
Michigan: Junior High B
North Carolina: III
Texas: II. Complete

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) North Star Campus Band (Lauren Visel, conductor) - 21 October 2021
Montgomery Upper Middle School (Skillman, N.J.) 8th Grade Band (Brian Chesney, conductor) – 2014

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Selected Movements from "The Danserye" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1551/2020)
Three English Folk Songs (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2021)

All Wind Works

Baroque Variations for Flute and Band (as arranger) (2014)
Blest Be the Tie that Binds (as arranger) (1845/2018)
Bosnian Folk Songs (1997)
Chorale Prelude: Abide with Me (1996)
Fairest Lord Jesus (as arranger) (2011)
Fantasy on “Barbara Allen” (1993)
He’s Gone Away (as arranger) (2002)
I Need Thee Ev'ry Hour (as arranger) (1872/)
Moravian Hymn Dance (1994)
Selected Movements from "The Danserye" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1551/2020)
Thanksgiving Hymn (as arranger) (1597/1998)
They Led My Lord Away (as transcriber) (1990)
This Christmastide (as arranger) (1984/1988/)
Three English Folk Songs (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2021)
Two Folk Songs for Oboe and Band (2019)
Were You There (1999)
When the Stars Began to Fall (1992)

Resources

Allen, F. (1997). Bosnian Folk Songs [score]. TRN Music: Ruidoso, N.M.
Miles, Richard B., and Larry Blocher. 2002. Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Volume 4. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 129-137.