Children's Ball, The

From Wind Repertory Project
John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa (ed. Loras John Schissel)


Subtitle: Movement 3 from Camera Studies – Music for an Imaginary Film


General Info

Year: 1920 / 1923 / 2022
Duration: c. 3:55
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Music Publishers
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $75.00   |   Score Only (print) - $15.00


Instrumentation

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

  • Bass Drum
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Metal Tray (filled with metal pots, ladle, spoons, etc.)
  • Ratchet
  • Snare Drum
  • Tambourine
  • Triangle
  • Wood Block
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Sousa wrote much more than marches, of which this lesser-known work is a fine example. It is from a suite entitled Camera Studies - Music for an Imaginary Film. Though not strictly a march in terms of tempo and form, The Children’s Ball certainly has a light and dancelike character, with solo and soli passages for clarinet, alto saxophone and euphonium, along with some fancy mallet work for the xylophone.

This premiere edition for the modern concert band was prepared by the Library of Congress senior musicologist and foremost Sousa scholar, Loras John Schissel.

- Program Note from score


Sousa left nothing among his memoirs to indicate the source of inspiration for this suite [Camera Studies] – perhaps because of its relatively short life. Despite many published editions, the work never became popular.

- Program Note from John Philip Sousa: A Descriptive Catalog of His Works


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

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Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources