Last Full Measure

Michael Sweeney

Michael Sweeney

Subtitle: A Gettysburg Remembrance

General Info

Year: 2013
Duration: c. 5:00
Difficulty: II (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Cost: Score and Parts - $15.00   |   Score Only - $15.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute
Penny Whistle<bbr /> Oboe
Bassoon
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
Horn in F
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Mallet Percussion
Percussion I-II, including:

• Bass Drum
• Snare Drum
• Crash Cymbals
• Bells
• Field Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Triangle
• Vibraphone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

2013 commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. Fought over the course of three days in 1863 (July 1-3), this battle was a turning point in the war and claimed the largest number of casualties. In dedicating the cemetery near the battle site, Lincoln’s famous address honored the soldiers who had given the “last full measure of devotion” fighting for their country.

Music played an important role during the Civil War for the soldiers as well as friends and family back home. Last Full Measure features tunes that became popular during this time. Girl I Left Behind Me, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, and the tender Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier express longing and hope for loved ones far away. In contrast, The Battle Cry of Freedom and Battle Hymn of the Republic inspire feelings of patriotic resolve and courage. These familiar melodies, along with the powerful emotions they evoke, live on and remain relevant today.

- Program Note by the Creekside Middle School Wind Symphony concert program, 20 December 2013

Last Full Measure by Michael Sweeney commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) using tunes that were popular during this time. A brief introduction prepares Girl I Left Behind Me with optional tin whistle solo (cued to piccolo and recorder), followed by When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again. Next, a slower ballad-like Johnny Has Come for a Soldier leads to The Battle Cry of Freedom and Battle Hymn of the Republic, both marked “March Tempo”. As with all medleys, a successful performance will require careful attention to the many varied stylistic details, tempos, and transitions. This is a delightful Civil War-era fantasy.

- Program Note from The Instrumentalist, No. 2013, p. 32

Commissioned by the Madison County (Indiana) Middle School Honor Band. Premiered March 3, 2013, at Reardon Auditorium, Anderson University.

- Program Note from score

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Creekside Middle School (Carmel, Ind.) Wind Symphony (Wendy Higdon, conductor) – 20 December 2013 (2013 Midwest Clinic)

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

• Armed Forces on Parade (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2007)
• Black Forest Overture (Flex instrumentation) (1996/2008)
• Born to be Wild (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1968/1990/2006)
• Celtic Air and Dance (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2007/2020)
• The Christmas Song (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1945/2011)
• Christmas Time Is Here (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1965/2003/2020)
• Circle of Life (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1994/2020)
• Down by the Salley Gardens (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2006/2017)
• The Forge of Vulcan (Flex instrumentation) (1997/2013)
• Highlights from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1968/1994/2018)
• Imperium (Flex instrumentation) (1992/2020)
• Knights of Destiny (Flex instrumentation) (2000/2011)
• Pictures at an Exhibition (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1874/2012)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2003/2006)
• Two Movements from "Lincolnshire Posy" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1937/2019)
• West Side Story (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1957/2015)
• White Christmas (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1940/2006)

All Wind Works

• Across the Northern Sky
• Algona Crossing (2017)
• An American Salute (1989)
• Ancient Voices (1994)
• Armed Forces on Parade (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2007)
• Aztalan (2009)
• Beyond the Seven Hills (1999)
• Black Forest Overture (1996)
• Black Forest Overture (Flex instrumentation) (1996/2008)
• Blue Mambo (2017)
• Born to be Wild (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1968/1990/2006)
• Call of the Champions (as arranger)
• Cayuga Lake Overture (2006)
• Celtic Air and Dance (2007)
• Celtic Air and Dance No. 2 (2008)
• Celtic Air and Dance No. 3 (2011)
• Celtic Air and Dance No. 4 (2018)
• Celtic Air and Dance No. 5 (2020)
• Celtic Air and March (2014)
• Celtic Farewell (2016)
• Chester (as arranger) (2020)
• The Christmas Song (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1945/2011)
• Christmas Time Is Here (as arranger) (1965)
• Christmas Time Is Here (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1965/2003/2020)
• Circle of Life (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1994/2020)
• Coldwater Crossing (2010)
• Corinthium (1994)
• Crossings in Time (2006)
• Dance of the Spirits (2011)
• Dansbury Run (2013)
• Dialogues (2003)
• Distant Horizons (1995)
• Distant Thunder of the Sacred Forest (2003)
• Down by the Salley Gardens (as arranger) (2006)
• Down by the Salley Gardens (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2006/2017)
• Down to the River (as arranger) (2019)
• Due North (2014)
• Earth and Sky (2013)
• Earthdance (2010)
• Emerald Awakening (2012)
• Equinox (1993)
• Fanfare and March (2004)
• Fanfare and Presto (1998)
• Farandole (as arranger)
• Fires of Mazama (2005)
• The Forge of the Vulcan (1997)
• The Forge of Vulcan (Flex instrumentation) (1997/2013)
• Fractures in Time (2017)
• Gates of Orion (1997)
• Gathering in the Glen (2010)
• Great Movie Adventures (as arranger) (2006)
• Half Moon on the Hudson (2007)
• A Hard Day's Night. See: Selections from "A Hard Day's Night"
• High Water Mark: The Third Day (2002)
• Highlights from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1968/1994/2018)
• Horkstow Grange from "Lincolnshire Posy" (as arranger)
• Hudson River Run (2020)
• Hymn to the Fallen (as arranger) (1998/2000)
• Imperium (1992)
• Imperium (Flex instrumentation) (1992/2020)
• Irish Rising (as arranger) (2016)
• John Williams: Movie Adventures (as arranger) (1977/1999)
• Kinesis (2004)
• Knights of Destiny (2000)
• Knights of Destiny (Flex instrumentation) (2000/2011)
• Lament and Tribal Dances (2001)
• Last Full Measure (2013)
• Legend of Devil's Lake (2011)
• Legends in the Mist (1996)
• Lincoln Legacy (1999)
• Lisbon from "Lincolnshire Posy" (as adapter) (1937/2017)
• Lost Lady Found (as arranger) (1937/2011)
• Marches of the Armed Forces (as arranger) (1991)
• Memory (as arranger)
• Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (as arranger)
• Moai (2017)
• Monmouth Overture (1999)
• Music from ''Les Misérables" (as arranger) (1980/1998)
• Music from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (as arranger) (1977/2016)
• Mystic Dance (1999)
• Night on Bald Mountain (as arranger) (2004)
• Northland Pines (2013)
• On Joyful Wing (2018)
• On the Edge of Tomorrow (2009)
• On the Wings of Swallows (2000)
• Out of the Shadows (2003)
• Paine Mountain Legacy (2020)
• Pantheon (1999)
• Panther Rising (2019)
• Particles (2014)
• Passages (2009)
• The Path Not Taken (2019)
• Pegasus (2001)
• Pictures at an Exhibition (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1874/2012)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (as arranger) (2006)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2003/2006)
• Pop and Rock Legends: Music of the Beatles (as arranger) (2010)
• Prelude and Pursuit (2013)
• Quad City Stomp (2008)
• River Rendezvous (2016)
• River of Hope (2009)
• River of the Ancients (2004)
• Rock, River, Tree (2015)
• Root Beer Rag (as arranger) (1974/1981)
• The Royal Tower (2001)
• Rumble on the High Plains (2005)
• Salute to the Duke (1999)
• Sawdust City Celebration (2013)
• Selections from "A Hard Day's Night" (as arranger) (1964/1999)
• Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (as arranger) (1967/2007)
• Shenandoah (as arranger) (2003)
• Shorewood Overture (2014)
• Silverbrook (2006)
• A Simple Song (as arranger) (2011)
• Sleepsong (as arranger) (2019)
• Song for Hope (2011)
• Southern Folk Rhapsody (2005)
• Southwind (as arranger) (2015)
• Spirit of Avalon (1998)
• Spring City Overture (2015)
• Stardance (2012)
• Strike Force (2007)
• Suite from "MASS" (as arranger)
• Summon the Heroes (as arranger)
• Swamp Rabbit Stomp (2016)
• Swing the Mood (as arranger) (1990)
• Themes from "The Black Panther" (as arranger) (2018)
• Themes from "First Suite in E-flat" (as arranger) (1909/2006)
• Themes from "New World Symphony" (as arranger) (1893)
• To Soar with Eagles (2013)
• Troy! (2009)
• Trumpet Tune (as arranger) (2001)
• Two Movements from "Lincolnshire Posy" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1937/2019)
• Valley of Fire (1998)
• Variants on an American Hymn (2000)
• Viking (2016)
• Villages (2014)
• West Side Story (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1957/2015)
• When the Sun Breaks Through the Mist (2006)
• White Christmas (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1940/2006)
• Wildcat Valley Fanfare (2017)
• Wilderness Scenes (2004)
• The Willow Tree (as arranger) (1995/2018)
• Woodland Odyssey (2002)
• Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon (as arranger) (1949/2006)
• Year of the Dragon (2000)

Resources

None discovered thus far.