Fascinating Ribbons

Joan Tower

General Info

Year: 2001
Duration: c. 5:55
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Associated Music Publishers, Inc.
Cost: Score & Parts - $125 | Score Only - $20.00

Instrumentation

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

Bass Drum
Bongos
Castanets
Crotales
Crash Cymbals
Glockenspiel
Maracas (small)
Sleigh Bells
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal (small, medium, large)
Tambourine (medium)
Tam-Tam
Temple Blocks
Tenor Drum
Timbales
Tom-Tom
Triangle (small)
Vibraphone
Woodblock
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

I am happy to be finally entering the band world -- a generous and hard-working world that has generated so many excellent wind, brass, and percussion players. It seems also to be a place of people that actually love living composers! Since this was my first foray into the band world, I decided that a short piece would be the wisest course.

In naming the piece, I noticed that there are many contours of motives that are shaped in curved “ribbon” patterns. I immediately thought of the word “fascinating.” And the ending dotted-rhythm reminded me of Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythms -- hence the title. It is dedicated to Jack Stamp, that intrepid “stalker” of composers who will not give up until he gets a band piece from them. (I should know; it took him five years to get me to write one!)

- Program Note by composer

Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Indiana University (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble (Rodney Dorsey, conductor) – 21 February 2023
University of Kentucky (Lexington) Wind Symphony (John Cody Birdwell, conductor) - 24 April 2022
Rutgers University (New Brunswick, N.J.) Wind Ensemble (Kraig Alan Williams, conductor) - 9 October 2021
University of Colorado Boulder Wind Symphony (Derek Stoughton, conductor) – 16 September 2021
University of Missouri, Kansas City, Wind Symphony (Stephen D. Davis, conductor) – 13 February 2020
Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) Concert Band (Thomas Duffy, conductor) – 17 November 2019
University of South Florida (Tampa) Wind Ensemble (Marc Sosnowchik, conductor) – 15 November 2018
Clovis (Calif.) North Educational Center Wind Ensemble (David Lesser, conductor) - 21 December 2017 (2017 Midwest Clinic)
University of Arizona (Tucson) Wind Ensemble (Chad R. Nicholson, conductor) – 7 October 2017
Michigan State University (East Lansing) Wind Symphony (Kevin Sedatole, conductor) – 28 September 2017
University of North Texas (Denton) Symphonic Band (Jacqueline Townsend, conductor) – 23 March 2017
University of British Columbia (Vancouver) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Robert Taylor, conductor) – 10 February 2017
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Concert Band (Courtney Snyder, conductor) – 10 February 2016
University of Southern California Thornton Wind Ensemble (H. Robert Reynolds, conductor) - 1 April 2012
Indiana Wind Symphony (Charles Conrad, conductor) - May 2006
Keystone Wind Ensemble (Indiana, Penn.) (Jack Stamp, conductor) – 22 February 2001 (CBDNA 2001 National Conference, Denton, Tx.) *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

Black Topaz
Celebration Fanfare (from Stepping Stones) (arr. Jack Stamp)
Celebration Fanfare (from Stepping Stones) - Brass Version (arr. Daniel Forlano)
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 2
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 3
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 5 (1993/1997)
Fascinating Ribbons (2001)
Made in America (tr. Patterson) (2004)

Resources

The Horizon Leans Forward…, compiled and edited by Erik Kar Jun Leung, GIA Publications, 2021, p. 500.
Miles, Richard B., and Larry Blocher. 2002. Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Volume 4. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 799-802.
Schirmer Publishing