Festival Fanfare for Christmas
General Info
Year: 2008
Duration: c. 3:45
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Cost: Score and Parts - $85.00 | Score Only - $10.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
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
Timpani
Organ
Percussion I-II-III
- Bass Drum
- Bells
- Chimes
- Crash Cymbal
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tam-tam
- Triangle
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Originally composed for full orchestra, this edition for wind band is a magnificent and powerful setting for the holidays. Starting with a brilliant fanfare for brass, the piece blossoms into a showcase for the entire ensemble incorporating the familiar O Come, All Ye Faithful and Joy to the World.
- Program Note from publisher
Festival Fanfare for Christmas by John Wasson (b. 1956) was commissioned and premiered by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 1996, and was recorded on their CD Dallas Christmas Gala in 2000. Mr. Wasson adapted the work for wind ensemble and it was subsequently recorded by the Dallas Wind Symphony in 2012 for their Horns for the Holidays CD.
Wasson was asked to create a work based upon two well-known Christmas carols, Joy to the World and O Come, All Ye Faithful, and to utilize the four trumpets in the orchestra antiphonally from the balconies of the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. The opening Baroque-like fanfare originates in one pair of trumpets, moves to the horn section and then to the other pair of trumpets, and finally to the large ensemble. Throughout the work the trumpets return and replay the fanfare figure, and share it with various sections within the larger ensemble.
- Program Note from score
Media
- Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
- Audio CD: Dallas Wind Symphony (Jerry Junkin, conductor)
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Dallas (Tx.) Winds (Shiree X. Williams, conductor) - 21 December 2022
- Metropolitan Wind Symphony (Lexington, Mass.) (Rick Wyman, conductor) - 3 December 2022
- Philharmonic Winds of Malaysia (Eric Lee, conductor) - 25 December 2021
- United States Coast Guard Band (New London, Conn.) (Adam R. Williamson, conductor) – 15 December 2019
- Johnson City (Tenn.) Community Concert Band (Christian Zembower, conductor) - 9 December 2019
- Metropolitan Winds (Dallas, Tx.) (Gregory Hustis, conductor) – 8 December 2019
- Angelo State University (San Angelo, Tx.) Wind Ensemble (Jonathan Alvis, conductor) – 6 December 2019
- North Jersey (Fair Lawn) Concert Band (Michael Roth, conductor) – 6 December 2019
- Callanwolde Concert Band (Decatur, Ga.) (Glenn R. Moore, conductor) – 5 December 2018
- West Virginia University (Morgantown) Wind Symphony (Scott C. Tobias, conductor) – 3 December 2018
- San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra (Jennifer Martin, conductor) – 20 December 2015
- Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) Wind Symphony (Kirt Saville, conductor) – 9 December 2015
- Callanwolde Concert Band (Decatur, Ga.) (Raymond Handfield, conductor) – 6 December 2015
- Dallas Winds (Jerry Junkin, conductor) - 23 December 2014
- San Jose (Calif.) Wind Symphony (Edward Harris, conductor) - 14 December 2014
Works for Winds by This Composer
- American Fanfare (1990)
- Big Band Tribute (2000)
- The Bluebonnet Revue
- Curtain Call (2013)
- Geometries
- Festival Fanfare for Christmas (2008)
- Hitsville, USA (as arranger) (1998)
- In the Christmas Mood
- Jingle Bells Fantasy (as arranger)
- Land of Liberty (2016)
- Music from "Gladiator" (as arranger) (2000/2002)
- Of Hopes and Dreams (2001)
- Pop and Rock Legends: Chicago (as arranger)
- Rock and Pop Legends: Stevie Wonder (as arranger) (1999)
- Potomac (Concert Overture)
- Pirates of the Caribbean Symphonic Suite (as arranger) (2003)
- The Relentless Warrior (2020)
- Sounds of Christmas (1998)
- Tangents (1989)
- That's a Plenty (as adapter) (1909/1997)
- Walk This Way (as arranger) (1975/2001)
- You Raise Me Up (as arranger) (2001/2005)
Resources
- Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "John Wasson." Accessed 15 December 2014.