Declaration in Blue

Robert W. Smith

Robert W. Smith

General Info

Year: 2002
Duration: c. 2:20
Difficulty: II-1/2 (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co.
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $57.00; (digital) - $55.00   |   Score Only (print) - $9.00

Instrumentation

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

• Bass Drum
• Conga
• Crash Cymbals
• Hi-Hat
• Marimba
• Ride Cymbal
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Triangle
• Xylophone (optional)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Some of the most intriguing music combines elements of seemingly disparate styles of music. Here, elements of a classic overture are shaded with elements of the blues to create a thoroughly engaging work.

- Program Note from publisher

American music can be defined in many ways. However, the deep roots of jazz are America's own musical contribution to the world. Declaration in Blue celebrates that heritage by gently alluding to and borrowing from the jazz idiom. The blues scale, the dense harmonies, and rhythmic drive are all present. However, the piece never uses the swing eighth note, leaving the listener and ensemble firmly grounded in the concert band.

The composer write, " In these very trying times for our country, I thought it important to compose an uplifting true American statement – a statement of hope and certainty that will resonate through the performance of our most precious natural resource, our children." What follows is that statement, a Declaration in Blue.

Commissioned by School District No. 25, Pocatello, Idaho, and dedicated to the 2002 District Junior High School Honor Band in fulfillment of the "School to Work Mini Grant" for Mr. Richard Connerly, Grant Sponsor.

- Program Note from score

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

• Indiana: ISSMA JUNIOR BAND GROUP II
• South Carolina: II
• Tennessee: III
• West Virginia: II

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Loveland (Colo.) High School Concert Band (Kyle Freesen, conductor) – 2 March 2020
• Atascadero (Calif.) Community Band (Rich Smucker, conductor) – 7 May 2017
• Melbourne (Aus.) Rainbow Band (Greg Peterson, conductor) – 30 May 2015

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

• Christmas Declaration (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Glover) (2009/2019)

All Wind Works

• Aces (2015)
• Affirmation Overture (1991)
• Africa: Ceremony, Song and Ritual (1994)
• African Bell Carol (as arranger) (2001)
• African Holy Night (2017)
• Ain't No Stoppin' Us (2007)
• Alabama Fanfare (2015)
• All Is Calm (as arranger) (2002)
• America the Beautiful (as arranger) (1882/1988)
• American Bell Carol (2012)
• An American Christmas (2004)
• American Dances (Brass Ensemble) (2017)
  • Rag
  • Square
  • Swing
• American Dances (Wind Ensemble) (2017/2018-2019)
  • Rag (2017/2019)
  • Square (2017/2019)
  • Swing (2017/2018)
• American Flourish (2009)
• American Folk Odyssey
  • The Wayfaring Stranger (2021)
• American Landscape No. 1 (2005)
• American Landscape No. 2. See: North Bay Vistas
• And to All a Good Night (2004)
• Angels, from the Realms of Glory (as arranger) (1816/1999)
• The Apes (2013), from Bestiarium
• Apollo Fanfare
• The Ascension. See: Symphony No. 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Ash Lawn Echoes (1993)
• At Daybreak (2009)
• At the Crossroads (1994)
• Bells! (2009)
• Beyond the Bell Carol (2018)
• Blue. See: Krisanna's Colors
• Brazil: Ceremony, Song and Samba (2009)
• Brazilian Bell Carol (2016)
• Buffalo Dances (2006)
• By Loch and Mountain (1997)
• Cameroon (2004)
• Castle Lore
• Celtic Bell Carol (2010)
• Celtic Carol (2002)
• Celebration Fanfare from "Buffalo Dances" (2006)
• Ceremonium (1994)
• Chautauqua (2004)
• Christmas Concerto (1991)
• Christmas Concerto No. 2
• Christmas Concerto No. 3 (2003)
• Christmas Declaration (2009)
• Christmas Declaration (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Glover) (2009/2019)
• A Christmas Festival (as arranger) (1950/2007)
• Christmas Hymn (2001)
• Christmas in the Round (2001)
• A Christmas Proclamation (2008)
• Christmas Spectacle (as arranger) (2020)
• Cohan Celebration
• Conversations with Matisse (2021)
• Cosmic Harmonies (2023)
• Covenant (1992)
• Crown of Glory (2009)
• Crush (2013)
• Currents (2006)
• Dance Celebration (2000)
• Danza
• Deck the Halls with Drums and Voices
• Declaration and Flourish. See: Vaughan Williams Suite
• Declaration in Blue (2002)
• The Divine Comedy. See: Symphony No. 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Dramatico
• Dreams (2010)
• Dueling Dragons (2009)
• Dulcinea. See: Symphony No. 3, "Don Quixote
• Earhart (2012)
• El Espiritu de Valencia (2009)
• Encanto (1989/2007)
• Eternal Peaks (2006)
• Evening Alleluias
• Fanfare and Processional on an Old English Carol (1999)
• Fanfare for a Holiday Celebration (2006)
• Fanfare for Tomorrow (2006)
• Fiesta La Vida (2009)
• Flying Fortress (2019)
• Full Throttle (2015)
• Furioso (2001)
• The Gathering of the Yeomen (1993)
• Gemeinhardt Suite (1997)
• Gentle Winds of Spring (2019)
• Georgia on My Mind (as arranger) (1930/1980)
• Gladiator Finale
• Glorioso (1997)
• Goondiwindi
• The Great Locomotive Chase (2000)
• The Great Steamboat Chase (2003)
• The Greatest Generation (2017)
• Greensleeves. See: Vaughan Williams Suite
• Groovin' Down Cool Street (2009)
• Hadrian's Wall (2010)
• Harry Potter Symphonic Suite (as arranger) (2001)
• Herndon Exaltations (1997)
• High and Low Country
• Highlights from "Ragtime" (as arranger) (1997)
• Holiday March (with Michael Story) (2006)
• Holst Winter Suite
  • On This Day Earth Shall Ring (as arranger) (1924/2001)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (as arranger) (1906/1992)
  • Old Brenton Carol (as arranger) (1910/2001)
• Hoosier Suite
• Hope (2015)
• Hymnsong Variants (1996)
• The Iliad. See: Symphony No. 2, "The Odyssey"
• The Illumination. See: Symphony No. 3, "Don Quixote"
• In a Gentle Rain (2000)
• In the Garden of the Gods
• In Times of Turbulence (2019)
• Incantations (1992)
• Inchon (2001)
• Inchon (adapt. Ninmer) (2001/)
• The Inferno. See: Symphony No. 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Into the Storm (1994)
• Ireland (1996)
• Irish Songs (2007)
• The Isle of Calypso. See: Symphony No. 2, "The Odyssey"
• Ithaca. See: Symphony No. 2, "The Odyssey"
• Jingle Bells Forever (1998)
• Journeys in Time
• King of Kings (1998)
• Krisanna's Colors (2015-2017)
  • Red (2017)
  • Blue (2015)
  • Yellow (2016)
• Kronos (2003)
• Latin Bell Carol (2008)
• Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (as arranger, with Story) (1945/2008)
• Liturgical Fanfare (1995)
• Lullaby for Band (2007)
• The Maelstrom (1997)
• March Grandioso (as arranger) (1909/2007)
• Mighty Empire (2018)
• A Minor Holiday Celebration (as arranger) (2019)
• Mirages (2009)
• Morpheus (2004)
• A Mother's Hymn (2021)
• Moto Continuo (2009)
• Musical Mayhem (2017)
• Mutations (2023)
• A Nation's Strength (2003)
• Navarro (2009)
• North Bay Vistas (2007)
• On Eagle's Wings (1999)
• Overture 1812 (as arranger, with Story) (1882/2012)
• Paradiso. See: Symphony No. 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Peace Like a River
• Postcards from the First Coast (2015)
• The Prairie is My Garden (2018)
• Prevailing Winds (2009)
• Promising Skies (2010)
• Purgatorio. See: Symphony No. 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• The Quest. See: Symphony No. 3, "Don Quixote"
• The Recession, Depression Holiday Blues (2009)
• Red. See: Krisanna's Colors
• Reflections in Moonlight (as arranger) (1801/2007)
• Relativo (2011)
• Rising Dragons (2006)
• Rites of Tamburo (1999)
• Repercussions (2007)
• The Runaway Sleigh (2007)
• Sancho and the Windmills. See: Symphony No. 3, "Don Quixote"
• Scaling the Mountains of Time (2022)
• Semper Liberi (1998)
• Sensei's Ride on the Cherry Blossom Express (2010)
• Serengeti Dreams (2000)
• Shenandoah (arr. Smith and Story) (2003)
• Soaring Over High and Low Country (2022)
• Solaris (2009)
• Songs of Earth, Water, Fire and Sky (1998)
• Songs of Sailor and Sea (1997)
• The Sound and the Fury (1999)
• Southwest Summer (2009)
• The Spirit of Orpheus (1998)
• Spirit of the Winds (2007)
• The Star of Dreams (2002)
• Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones (as arranger) (2002)
• Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (as arranger) (2005)
• Stone Gardens (2016)
• Suite for the Heroes Among Us (2018)
• Summer Nights (2016)
• The Sword of Kings (2007)
• Symphonic Festival (1991)
• Symphonic Statement (2006)
• Symphony No. 1, "The Divine Comedy" (1994-1997)
  • The Inferno (1995)
  • Purgatorio (1997)
  • The Ascension (1994)
  • Paradiso (1996)
• Symphony No. 2, "The Odyssey" (1999-2004)
  • The Iliad (2001)
  • The Winds of Poseidon (1999)
  • The Isle of Calypso (2001)
  • Ithaca (2004)
• Symphony No. 3, "Don Quixote" (2008)
  • The Quest
  • Dulcinea
  • Sancho and the Windmills
  • The Illumination
• Symphony of Souls (2007)
• The Tempest (1995)
• Teutonic Tales (2010)
  • Damon-Tanz (2011)
  • Freya (2011)
  • Thor's Hammer (2011)
• Three Fanfares for a Celebration (2007)
• Through the Vulcan's Eye (1996)
• To Dance in the Secret Garden (1996)
• To Challenge the Sky and Heavens Above (2000)
• To the Summit! (2001)
• Top Gun (1986)
• Triton Fanfare (2009)
• Tromba Grande (2016)
• 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (as arranger) (1995)
• Twelve Seconds to the Moon (1996)
• Twister (as arranger) (1996)
• Ultimatum (2009)
• Upon a Midnight Clear (as arranger) (2014)
• Üsküdar (with Michael Story) (2005)
• Valiance: A Heroic Overture for Band (2007)
• Vaughan Williams Suite
  • Wassail (as arranger) (2006)
  • Greensleeves (as arranger) (2007)
  • Declaration and Flourish (2008)
• Walking the Planks (2012)
• When Saint Nick Comes Marching In (as arranger) (2017)
• When Summer Takes Flight (2002)
• Where the Black Hawk Soars (1995)
• Willson Suite (1997/2000)
• Wind Song (2017)
• The Winds of Poseidon. See: Symphony No. 2, "The Odyssey"
• A World Holiday Celebration (2007)
• Yellow. See: Krisanna's Colors

Resources

• Perusal score
• Robert W. Smith website Accessed 6 September 2021