By My Side

From Wind Repertory Project
Andrew Boysen Jr.

Andrew Boysen, Jr.


General Info

Year: 2018
Duration: c. 6:20
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Neil A. Kjos
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $80.00   |   Score Only (print) - $8.00


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-IV-V, including:

  • Bodhrán
  • Chimes
  • Finger Cymbals
  • Guiro
  • Marimba
  • Mark Tree
  • Orchestra Bells
  • Sandpaper Blocks
  • Sizzle Cymbal
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Tambourine
  • Tam-Tam
  • Triangle
  • Vibraphone
  • Wooden Board
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Written in memory of an eighth-grade percussionist and cross-country runner named Ian, this creative commissioned work makes use of a musical cryptogram as a compositional technique, assigning musical pitches to notes of the alphabet which allows the composer to spell words. Thus, the notes B-A-G spell I-A-N, and these notes serve as the melodic basis for the piece. The title and structure of the three-section composition are inspired by The Runner's Prayer, which begins with the words "Run by my side."

The piece begins quietly with marimba and vibraphone, later joined by solo flute. (Ian and one of his sisters were percussionists, and his other sister played flute.) Other instruments are added as the piece moves to a full ensemble statement of Ian's Chorale. A Celtic quality is apparent during the opening section, acknowledging Ian's heritage and love for Irish music, but the Celtic flair is even more pronounced during the second section, which features the Runner's Theme, a vibrant, forward-moving melody derived from the opening chorale. The final section ultimately joins the chorale and the running theme, in effect running side by side as the piece builds to a dramatic final section before fading and disappearing into the distance.

- Program Note from The Instrumentalist


Media


State Ratings

  • Alabama: Class BB


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Franklin (Mass.) High School Wind Ensemble (Diane Plouffe, conductor) – 10 December 2019


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

  • Andrew Boysen, Jr., website Accessed 31 August 2019
  • Boysen, Jr., A. (2018). By My Side [score]. Neil A. Kjos: San Diego, Calif.
  • "New Music Reviews." The Instrumentalist, 74/2 (September 2019), p. 24-25.
  • Perusal score