Lonely Beach

James Barnes

James Barnes

Subtitle: Normandy 1944

General Info

Year: 1993
Duration: c. 11:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Southern Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $175.00   |   Score Only (print) - $29.50

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II-III
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto 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
Harp and Synthesizer
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including:

• Bass Drum (3)
• Chimes
• Crash Cymbals
• Field Drum
• Gong
• Orchestra Bells
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Vibraphone
• Wind Chimes (metal)

Chorus (optional)

Errata

In Score:

• Instrument list: "Filed" drum should read "Field" drum.
  

In Score and Parts:

• Mallet Percussion, reh. B: the composer uses an unidentified icon in the phrase "move to <icon>." The icon indicates the gong. The icon also appears in the score without definition.
  

Program Notes

Lonely Beach is a tone poem about some isolated and not particularly attractive beaches on the northern coast of France which, for a few hours on late spring day in 1944, were transformed into the most important location in the violent history of the 20th century. The first half of this tone poem attempts to depict what a single soldier might have seen on that cold, misty morning. It begins with the wind and the sound of the waves, then gradually builds as the assault begins. Off-stage trumpets and percussion are employed in this work to help portray the incredible panic and total chaos of the situation. The music builds into a frenzy and becomes more complex and confusing until, ultimately, the soldier runs up the beach and is struck by the bullet that kills him.

The second half of this work (beginning with the entrance of a female chorus) is a eulogy for all the soldiers who died on this insignificant length of sand and rocks. The shouting and gunfire are now but echoes in our imagination.

Lonely Beach (Normandy, 1944) was commissioned by the United States Army Band, Washington, D.C.

- Program Note from publisher

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

• Virginia: V

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Lone Star Symphonic Band (Katy, Tx.) (Bob Bryant, conductor) - 1 July 2018
• University of North Carolina Charlotte Wind Ensemble (Shawn Smith, conductor) - 30 April 2018
• Round Rock (Tx.) High School Wind Ensemble 23 May 2013
• UPEI Wind Symphony (Charlottetown, PEI, Can.)(Karem J. Simon, conductor)- November 2004

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

• Barnes, J. (1993). Lonely Beach (Normandy, 1944) [score]. Southern Music Co.: San Antonio, Tex.