Desperate Pursuit

James Barnes

James Barnes

General Info

Year: 2010 / 2012
Duration: c. 4:00
Difficulty: II (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Music Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $55.00; (digital) - $55.00   |   Score Only (print) - $7.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion (5 players), including:

• Bass Drum
• Bells
• Crash Cymbals
• Mark Tree
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Tambourine
• Triangle
• Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

This piece is a driving and dramatic overture from the pen of award-winning composer James Barnes. Based on the D Phrygian scale, the piece gets its name from the rapid rhythmic motion of the piece. The intensity of Phrygian mode, colorful low woodwind, and wispy percussion writing in the contrasting lyrical section of the work, and the dramatic pulsating timpani part throughout the piece combine to bring a frantic quality to the music.

Composed in the fall of 2010, Desperate Pursuit was premiered in Temecula, California on march 11, 2011, with the composer conducting. The piece was commissioned by conductor Brad Hinkson and the Temecula Middle School Band parent organization.

- Program Note from score

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

• Indiana: ISSMA JH/MS/ELEM BAND GROUP II
• Kansas: II
• North Carolina: III

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Richland (Wash.) High School Symphonic Band (Jason Rose, conductor) - 2 November 2021
• Temecula (Calif.) Middle School Band (James Barnes, conductor) – 11 March 2011 *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

• Westridge Overture (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Barber) (1983/1991/2021)
• Yorkshire Ballad (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Barber) (1985/2021)

All Wind Works

• All Pleasant Things... (1998)
• Alpine Holiday (2014)
• Alvamar Overture (1981)
• Appalachian Overture (1983)
• Arioso and Presto (2001)
• Autumn Soliloquy (1987)
• Bayerisches Osterfest (2014)
• Beautiful Oregon (2007)
• Breckenridge (1989)
• Brookshire Suite (1980)
• Burnished Brass (2020)
• Caribbean Hideaway (1997)
• Carnaval in São Paulo (2003)
• Centennial Celebration Overture (1986)
• Century Tower (1984)
• Chorale and Jubiloso (1998)
• Chorale Prelude on a German Folk Tune (1986)
• Citadel (2015)
• Concerto for Euphonium (2011)
• Concerto for Tuba (tr. Rogers) (1996)
• Credo (2016)
• Crossgate (1984)
• Dance Variants (2017)
• Danza Sinfonica (2005)
• Desperate Pursuit (2010/2012)
• Dexter Park Celebration (2017)
• Dramatic Overture (2021)
• Dream Journey (1997)
• Eagle Bend (2000)
• Eaglecrest (1984)
• Eighth Symphony (2017)
• Eisenhower Centennial (1992)
• Escenas de los Aztecas (2012)
• Fanfare and Capriccio (2001)
• Fanfare and Processional (2018)
• Fanfares and Alleluias (1996)
• Fantasy Variations (1988)
• Festival Concert March (1982)
• Fifth Symphony (2003)
• First Symphony. See: Symphony
• Fourth Symphony (ed. Rogers) (1999/2001)
• Foxfire (2001)
• Golden Festival Overture (1997)
• Goldene Kameraden (2014)
• Heatherwood Portrait (1983)
• High Plains Overture (1991)
• Hobart Centennial March (2002)
• Home on the Range (as arranger; harm. Ralston) (1873/1992)
• Hope Arises
• Hunter Park (1974)
• Impressions of Japan (1994)
• Inspiration Point (1997)
• Inventions on Marching Songs (1996)
• Invocation and Toccata (1982)
• Jubilation Overture (2005)
• Legend (1992)
• A Leroy Anderson Portrait (as arranger) (1982)
• A Light in the Wilderness (1995)
• The Lightning Brigade (2018)
• Lonely Beach (1993)
• The Long Gray Line (1988)
• Lyric Interlude (1980)
• Majestic (2023)
• Malagueña (as arranger) (1928/2016)
• Maracas from Caracas (2002)
• Meditation (2017)
• My Old Kentucky Home (as arranger) (1853/1997)
• Ninth Symphony (2019)
• Nulli Secundus (1999)
• The Old Guard (1994)
• Pagan Dances (1996)
• The Perishing Rifles (1997)
• Poetic Intermezzo (1985)
• Porgy and Bess (as arranger) (1928/2002)
• Prairie Winds Festival (2016)
• A Prayer for Higashi Nihon (2011)
• Quest (2016)
• Rapscallion (1976)
• Rhapsodic Essay (1999)
• Ritmico (2018)
• Riverfest (1985)
• Romanza (1989)
• Scarlet and Silver Jubilee (2007/2009)
• Second Symphony (2000)
• Seventh Symphony. See: Symphonic Requiem
• The Silver Gazebo (1996)
• Sixth Symphony (2006)
• A Solemn Prelude (2003)
• Sorcery Suite (2002)
• Spitfire Overture (1991)
• Sterling Brass (1981/1998)
• Stone Meadows (1987)
• Sunflower Saga (1994)
• Symphonic Essay (2012)
• Symphonic Overture (1991)
• Symphonic Requiem (2015)
• Symphony (1974-75)
• Symphony No. 1. See: Symphony
• Symphony No. 2. See: Second Symphony
• Symphony No. 3. See: Third Symphony
• Symphony No. 4. See: Fourth Symphony
• Symphony No. 5. See: Fifth Symphony
• Symphony No. 6. See: Sixth Symphony
• Symphony No. 7. See: Symphonic Requiem
• Symphony No. 8. See: Eighth Symphony
• Symphony No. 9. See: Ninth Symphony
• Tchaikovsky Suite (as arranger) (1878/2004)
• The Texans (1986)
• Third Symphony (1997)
• Threnody (2015)
• Three Symphonic Fanfares (1989)
  • Fanfare for West Point
• Toccata Fantastica (2001)
• Torch Dance (1985)
• Trail of Tears (1989)
• Trailridge Saga (1988)
• Tribute (2011)
• Twin Oaks (2000)
• Variants on a Moravian Hymn (1993)
• A Very American Overture (1996)
• Visions Macabres (1978/1984/2006)
• We the People (1990)
• Westport Overture (1988)
• Westridge Overture (1983/1991)
• Westridge Overture (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Barber) (1983/1991/2021)
• The Whistler and His Dog (as arranger) (1905/2005)
• The Wild Blue Yonder (2008)
• Wildwood Overture (2003)
• The Wizard of Oz (as arranger) (1939/1995)
• Yama Midori (2003)
• Yorkshire Ballad (1985)
• Yorkshire Ballad (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Barber) (1985/2021)

Resources

• Perusal score