Colour Symphony, A

Philip Sparke

Subtitle: Symphony No. 3

General Info

Year: 2015
Duration: c. 26:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Anglo Music, through Music Shop Europe
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $580.00 | Score Only (print) - $112.00

Movements

1. White
2. Yellow
3. Blue
4. Red
5. Green

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra-Alto Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet (or Contrabassoon)
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Harp
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:

Bass Drum
Chimes
Crash Cymbals
Glockenspiel
Sleigh Bells
Snare Drum
Splash Cymbal
Suspended Cymbal
Tam-tam
Temple Blocks
Tom-tom (medium)
Triangle
Vibraphone
Wood Block (small)
Xylophone

Cello

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

A Colour Symphony was commissioned by Sinfonischen Blasorchester Wehdel, Thomas Ratzek, conductor. In common with the composer Philip Sparke, Maestro Ratzek sees the large symphonic wind ensemble as the artistic zenith of the genre and, in commissioning this symphony, was specific in his request that it should exploit as full and varied an instrumentation as possible, requesting the inclusion of low woodwinds, harp, piano and celli.

To fully exploit this, Sparke had the idea of writing a symphony of 'colours', to take advantage of the rich palette of instrumental sounds available to him. There is a medical condition called chromesthesia, which is a neurological phenomenon whereby certain musical sounds and pitches can lead the listener to see certain colours. This is not how Sparke perceives pitches. Rather, he sees -- as do many people -- equivalencies between instrumental 'colour' (and certain harmonies) and colours of the spectrum. It is these colours that he has utilised in his Third Symphony.

- Program Note from publisher

Awards

NBA/William Revelli Composition Contest, 2016, winner

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: Naniwa Orchestral Winds (Nobuyuki Kanai, conductor) – 2017

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

West Chester University (Penn.) Wind Ensemble (Andrew Yozviak, conductor) - 7 April 2022
Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.) Wind Ensemble (Jay S. Gephart, conductor) - 28 April 2021
West Chester (Penn.) University Wind Ensemble (Andrew Yozviak, conductor) - 28 March 2021
WISH Wind Orchestra (Japan) – 19 August 2016
Sinfonischen Blasorchester Wehdel (Schiffdorf, Germany) (Thomas Ratzek, conductor) – 22 November 2014 *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

Atlantic Odyssey (2010)
Ballad for Benny (2001)
The Bandwagon (2004)
Barn Dance and Cowboy Hymn (1985)
Beethoven's Greeting (2008)
Between the Two Rivers (2003)
Big Sky Overture (2002)
Blazon (2010)
A Bluegrass Overture (2017)
Bohemian Rhapsody as arranger) (1975/2011)
Bolero (as arranger) (1928/2011)
Cambridge Intrada (2007)
The Camelot Chronicles (2007)
Carnival (1997)
Carol of the Shepherds (2001)
Celebration (1993)
The Centurion (1988/2000)
Chorale and Variations (2004)
Clarinet Calypso (2003)
Clarinet Concerto (2003)
Colditz March (as arranger) (1972/2014)
Colorado Springs (2007)
A Colour Symphony (2015)
Concert Prelude (1976/2000)
Concertino Classico (2010)
Dance Movements (1995)
Dance of the Whale (2013/2014), from Bestiarium
David of the White Rock (as arranger) (1741/2003)
Deserts (2008)
Diamond Concerto (2012)
Diversions (1999)
Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes (as arranger) (1790/2011)
The Earl of Oxford's Marche (as arranger) (1581-91/2006)
Earth, Water, Sun, Wind (2000)
An English Sea Song Suite (2006)
Euphonium Concerto No. 2 (2005)
Exultation (2010)
Fanfare for Saint Cecilia (2008)
Fanfare, Romance and Finale (1990)
Fantasy for Euphonium (1995)
A Festive Tribute (J.S. Bach) (2007)
Fiesta! (1998)
Fiesta de la Vida (2005/2006)
Five Festive Fanfares (2000)
- Victory Fanfare
Flowerdale (2002/2010)
Flying the Breeze (2002/2004)
The Four Noble Truths (2003/2004)
Four Norfolk Dances (2001)
Gemini Concerto (2017/2019)
Girl with the Flaxen Hair, The (as arranger) (1910/2007)
Hail the Dragon! (2010)
Harlequin (2004)
Hanover Festival (2000)
A Huntingdon Celebration (2003)
In Memoriam: For the Fallen (2015)
Infinity and Beyond... (2001)
Invictus (2001)
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (as arranger) (1723/2004)
Jubilee Overture (1983)
Jubiloso (2008/2009)
A Klezmer Karnival (2004)
The Land of the Long White Cloud (1980/1988)
Letter from Home (2008)
A Lindisfarne Rhapsody (1998)
The Long Day Closes (as arranger) (1868/2007)
MacArthur Park (as arranger) (1967/2005)
Madrigalum (2006)
Måndalen Landscapes (2004)
Manhattan (2004)
Marchissimo (2004)
Mary's Boy Child (as arranger) (1956/2003)
Masquerade (2003)
Merry-Go-Round (2002)
Morning Song (2002)
Mountain Song (1990/1993)
Music for a Festival (1985)
Music of the Spheres (2004)
Navigation Inn (2000)
North Hills Fantasy (2021)
Once in Royal David’s City (as arranger) (1849/2004)
Orient Express (1987/1994)
Out of the Darkness, Into the Light (2003)
Overture for Woodwinds (2000)
The Painted Desert (2004)
Panis Angelicus (as arranger) (1872/2001)
Pantomime (1988/1996)
Pastime with Good Company (as arranger) (15--?/2005)
Pentangle (2021)
The Pioneers (2005)
Portrait of a City (2002)
Postcard from Singapore (2004)
A Quiet Moment (2007)
Reflections (2011)
Reflections on an Old Japanese Folk Song (2015)
Rhythm and Blues (arr. Wheeler) (1986/2012)
The Roaring Forties (2008)
Sailing with the Tall Ships (2012)
Salute to a Hero (2009)
A Savannah Symphony (2010)
Scenes from a Comedy (2007)
The Seasons (2005)
Shalom! (2001)
Sierra Nevada (2006)
Sinfonietta No. 1 (1990)
Sinfonietta No. 2 (1992)
Sinfonietta No. 3 (2001)
Sinfonietta No. 4 (2012)
Sinfonietta No. 5 (2021)
Sleepers, Awake! (as transcriber) (1731/2002)
Slipstream (1987/1990)
Snow Valley Sleigh Ride (2007)
Song and Dance (arr. Brand) (1984/2009)
Song of Friendship (2017)
The Song of the Bell (2012)
Sounds of the Saint Lawrence (2008)
Spirit of the Sequoia (2004)
St. Paul's Suite (as arranger) (1912-1913/2017)
Strathcarron (2002)
Suite from Hymn of the Highlands (2002)
Summer Isles (2002/2006)
The Sun Will Rise Again (2011)
Sunrise at Angel's Gate (2001)
Symphonic Metamorphosis (2007)
Symphony No. 1. See: Earth, Water, Sun, Wind
Symphony No. 2. See: A Savannah Symphony
Symphony No. 3. See: A Colour Symphony
Tales of the River Wye (2007)
Tallis' Canon (arr. Sparke) (/2012)
A Tameside Overture (1989)
Te Deum Prelude (as arranger) (1688-1698/2001)
Ten Chorale Preludes (as arranger) (1914/2002)
Theatre Music (1989)
Three English Folk Song Miniatures (2013)
Three Extraordinary Journeys (2006)
Three Klezmer Miniatures (2009)
Three Washington Statues (2015)
To a New Dawn (2000)
To a Wild Rose (as arranger) (1896/2002)
Tokyo Triptych (2007)
Trombone Concerto (2007)
Tuba Concerto (2007)
The Unknown Journey (2014)
Valerius Variations (2005)
Variations on a Fourth (2019/2022)
Veni Immanuel (2003)
Watch Your Step! (2017)
A Weekend in New York (2008)
The White Rose (2002)
Wind in the Reeds (2017)
Wilten Festival Overture (1999)
A Winter's Tale (2010)
Year of the Dragon (1984/1985)
Year of the Dragon (2017 edition) (1984/1985/2017)
A Yorkshire Overture (1991)

Resources

"A Colour Symphony (Symphony no. 3)." Wind Band Symphony Archive. Web. Accessed 27 March 2021
Perusal score
Philip Sparke website
Sparke, P. (2015). A Colour Symphony: Symphony No. 3 for Concert Band [score]. Anglo Music: London.