Music for a Festival (Sparke)
General Info
Year: 1985
Duration: c. 12:20
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Brass Band
Publisher: Studio Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $182.75 | Score Only - $73.00
Movements (played without pause)
1. Con brio - 4:14
2. Andantino - 4:30
3. Vivo - 3:37
Instrumentation
Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Clarinet
B-flat Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion, including:
- Bass Drum
- Crash Cymbal
- Glockenspiel
- Hi-hat
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tambourine
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Music for a Festival was written at the request of Boosey & Hawkes Band Festivals for the Youth Section Finals of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, 1985.
The work is one continuous movement, but it does fall distinctly into three sections:
1. The work starts with an extended fanfare, which reappears at various points throughout the work. This leads to the syncopated, jazzy main theme, played in turn by various sections of the band. After several contrasting interludes, the main theme returns, quietening down to introduce:
2. A slower central section, which is characterized by intimate quartet writing and powerful climax for the whole band.
3. The piece explodes percussively out of the quiet section and is a headlong gallop, interrupted briefly by a more tranquil mood, which leads back to the opening fanfare is an exciting close.
-Program Note from publisher
Commissioned by Chris Hooker and the Hounslow Youth Wind Orchestra with funds donated by the late Cyril Lesser, a lifelong supporter of youth music.
-Program Note from Score
Media
- Audio CD: Naniwa Orchestral Winds (Shigenori Nakagawa, conductor) – 2017
- Audio CD: Tokyo Geidai Wind Orchestra (Masaharu Yamamoto, conductor) - 2016
- Audio CD: Toke Civic Wind Orchestra (Hiroyuki Kayo, conductor) - 2012
- Audio CD: Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (Philip Sparke, conductor) – 1992
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Allegheny College (Meadville, Pa.) Wind Symphony (Lowell Hepler, conductor) - 30 April 2017
- Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wi.) Wind Ensemble (Erik Janners, conductor) - 2 October 2016
- Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Mn.) Vasa Wind Orchestra (Karrin Meffert-Nelson, conductor) - 4 May 2013
- Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.) Wind Symphony (Cynthia Johnston Turner, conductor) - 4 May 2012
- Westminster College (New Wilmington, Pa.) Wind Ensemble (R. Tad Greig, conductor) - May 2012
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Atlantic Odyssey (2010)
- Bacchanalia (2019/2020)
- Ballad for Benny (2001)
- The Bandwagon (2004)
- Barn Dance and Cowboy Hymn (1985)
- Beethoven's Greeting (2008)
- Between the Two Rivers (2003)
- Big Sky Overture (2002)
- Blazon (2010)
- A Bluegrass Overture (2017)
- Bohemian Rhapsody (as arranger) (1975/2011)
- Bolero (as arranger) (1928/2011)
- Cambridge Intrada (2007)
- The Camelot Chronicles (2007)
- Carnival (1997)
- Carol of the Shepherds (2001)
- Celebration (1993)
- The Centurion (1988/2000)
- Chorale and Variations (2004)
- Clarinet Calypso (2003)
- Clarinet Concerto (2003)
- Colditz March (as arranger) (1972/2014)
- Colorado Springs (2007)
- A Colour Symphony (2015)
- Concert Prelude (1976/2000)
- Concertino Classico (2010)
- Dance Movements (1995)
- Dance of the Whale (2013/2014), from Bestiarium
- David of the White Rock (as arranger) (1741/2003)
- Deserts (2008)
- Diamond Concerto (2012)
- Diversions (1999)
- Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes (as arranger) (1790/2011)
- The Earl of Oxford's Marche (as arranger) (1581–91/2006)
- Earth, Water, Sun, Wind (2000)
- An English Sea Song Suite (2006)
- Euphonium Concerto No. 2 (2005)
- Exultation (2010)
- Fanfare for Saint Cecilia (2008)
- Fanfare, Romance and Finale (1990)
- Fantasy for Euphonium (1995)
- A Festive Tribute (J.S. Bach) (2007)
- Fiesta! (1998)
- Fiesta de la Vida (2005/2006)
- Five Festive Fanfares (2000)
- Flowerdale (2002/2010)
- Flying the Breeze (2002/2004)
- The Four Noble Truths (2003/2004)
- Four Norfolk Dances (2001)
- Gemini Concerto (2017/2019)
- Girl with the Flaxen Hair, The (as arranger) (1910/2007)
- Hail the Dragon! (2010)
- Harlequin (2004)
- Hanover Festival (2000)
- A Huntingdon Celebration (2003)
- In Memoriam: For the Fallen (2015)
- Infinity and Beyond... (2001)
- Invictus (2001)
- Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (as arranger) (1723/2004)
- Jubilee Overture (1983)
- Jubiloso (2008/2009)
- A Klezmer Karnival (2004)
- The Land of the Long White Cloud (1980/1988)
- Letter from Home (2008)
- A Lindisfarne Rhapsody (1998)
- The Long Day Closes (as arranger) (1868/2007)
- MacArthur Park (as arranger) (1967/2005)
- Madrigalum (2006)
- Måndalen Landscapes (2004)
- Manhattan (2004)
- Marchissimo (2004)
- Mary's Boy Child (as arranger) (1956/2003)
- Masquerade (2003)
- Merry-Go-Round (2002)
- Morning Song (2002)
- Mountain Song (1990/1993)
- Music for a Festival (1985)
- Music of the Spheres (2004)
- Navigation Inn (2000)
- North Hills Fantasy (2021)
- Of Skies, Rivers, Lakes, and Mountains (2012/2013)
- Once in Royal David’s City (as arranger) (1849/2004)
- Orient Express (1987/1994)
- Out of the Darkness, Into the Light (2003)
- Overture for Woodwinds (2000)
- The Painted Desert (2004)
- Panis Angelicus (as arranger) (1872/2001)
- Pantomime (1988/1996)
- Pastime with Good Company (as arranger) (15--?/2005)
- Pentangle (2021)
- The Pioneers (2005)
- A Pittsburgh Overture (1992)
- Portrait of a City (2002)
- Postcard from Singapore (2004)
- Prelude to a Celebration (2007)
- A Quiet Moment (2007)
- Reflections (2011)
- Reflections on an Old Japanese Folk Song (2015)
- Rhythm and Blues (arr. Wheeler) (1986/2012)
- The Roaring Forties (2008)
- Sailing with the Tall Ships (2012)
- Salute to a Hero (2009)
- A Savannah Symphony (2010)
- Scenes from a Comedy (2007)
- The Seasons (2005)
- Shalom! (2001)
- Sierra Nevada (2006)
- Sinfonietta No. 1 (1990)
- Sinfonietta No. 2 (1992)
- Sinfonietta No. 3 (2001)
- Sinfonietta No. 4 (2012)
- Sinfonietta No. 5 (2021)
- Sleepers, Awake! (as transcriber) (1731/2002)
- Slipstream (1987/1990)
- Snow Valley Sleigh Ride (2007)
- Song and Dance (arr. Brand) (1984/2009)
- Song of Friendship (2017)
- The Song of the Bell (2012)
- Sounds of the Saint Lawrence (2008)
- Spirit of the Sequoia (2004)
- St. Paul's Suite (as arranger) (1912–13/2017)
- Strathcarron (2002)
- Suite from Hymn of the Highlands (2002)
- Summer Isles (2002/2006)
- The Sun Will Rise Again (2011)
- Sunrise at Angel's Gate (2001)
- Symphonic Metamorphosis (2007)
- Symphony No. 1. See: Earth, Water, Sun, Wind
- Symphony No. 2. See: A Savannah Symphony
- Symphony No. 3. See: A Colour Symphony
- Tales of the River Wye (2007)
- Tallis' Canon (arr. Sparke) (/2012)
- A Tameside Overture (1989)
- Te Deum Prelude (as arranger) (1688–98/2001)
- Ten Chorale Preludes (as arranger) (1914/2002)
- Theatre Music (1989)
- Three English Folk Song Miniatures (2013)
- Three Extraordinary Journeys (2006)
- Three Klezmer Miniatures (2009)
- Three Washington Statues (2015)
- To a New Dawn (2000)
- To a Wild Rose (as arranger) (1896/2002)
- Tokyo Triptych (2007)
- Trombone Concerto (2007)
- Tuba Concerto (2007)
- The Unknown Journey (2014)
- Valerius Variations (2005)
- Variations on a Fourth (2019/2022)
- Veni Immanuel (2003)
- Watch Your Step! (2017)
- A Weekend in New York (2008)
- The White Rose (2002)
- Wind in the Reeds (2017)
- Wilten Festival Overture (1999)
- A Winter's Tale (2010)
- Year of the Dragon (1984/1985)
- Year of the Dragon (2017 edition) (1984/1985/2017)
- A Yorkshire Overture (1991)
Resources
- Philip Sparke website
- Sparke, P. (1985). Music for a Festival [score]. Studio Music: London.