O Waly, Waly

Jay Bocook

Subtitle: A Rhapsody for Band

General Info

Year: 2011
Duration: c. 5:10
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $85.00; (digital) - $85.00 | Score Only (print) - $7.50; (digital) - $7.50

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
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-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

Bass Drum
Bells
Chimes
Crash Cymbals
Marimba
Pulli Stick (or Rutes)
Rain Stick
Shaker (small)
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Tam-tam
Temple Blocks (3)
Triangle
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

O Waly, Waly (loosely translated as "woe is me") is an English folk song that has been sung since the 1600s. It is more commonly known as The Water Is Wide, and has been performed and recorded by many of today's top artists. Its roots are unclear, with some claiming Northern Irish origin, while others point to Scotland or England as its birthplace. The text of the song points to the inherent challenges of love ("Love is handsome, love is kind") during the early stages of a relationship. As time progresses, however, even true love can "fade away like a morning dew."

The piece opens with an alternate tune to the text of O Waly, Waly as a flute solo. The grace notes should be brought out to project more of a Celtic style. A secondary theme appears in D Major soon afterwards, which at first sounds like a repeat of Waly, Waly. It is actually an entirely new tune, Carolina, the state song of South Carolina. Both tunes utilize the same first four notes, (sol, do, re, mi), and it is this four-note segment that binds all elements of the entire work. Near the end of the composition, both Waly, Waly and Carolina are heard simultaneously, and the piece concludes with a powerful coda containing fragments of both songs and powerful harmonies.

For the Columbia (S.C.) Community Concert Band, Bill Ackerman, director, on the occasion of the band's 30th anniversary.

- Program Notes adapted from score

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: Cobb Wind Symphony (Marietta, Ga.) (Alfred L. Watkins, conductor) - 2011

State Ratings

Louisiana: IV
Ohio: OMEA High School Band A
South Carolina: IV
Texas: IV. Complete

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Limestone University (Gaffney, S.C.) Wind Ensemble (Seth Taft, conductor) - 7 April 2022
Coastal Communities Concert Band (San Diego, Calif.) (Tom Cole, conductor) – 23 May 2021
Texas A&M University (Lubbock) Concert Band (Russell Tipton, conductor) – 13 October 2019
Sierra Nevada Winds (Yuba City, Calif.) (Robert Halseth, conductor) – 21 November 2015
Valley Wind Ensemble (San Ynez, Calif.) (Sharon Jeskey, conductor) – 22 March 2014 (2014 Sutherland Wind Festival, Fresno, Calif.)
Band of the 15th Field Regiment (British Columbia) – 2012
Cobb Wind Symphony (Marietta, Ga.) (Robert J. Cowles, conductor) – 15 December 2011 (2011 Midwest Clinic)

Works for Winds by This Composer

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Symphonic Suite from "Jurassic World" (as arranger) (2015/2017)
Symphonic Suite from "On the Waterfront" (as arranger) (1954/2011)
Symphonic Suite from "Star Trek" (as arranger) (2009)
Symphonic Suite from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (arr Bocook) (as arranger) (2016)
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Thriller (as arranger) (1982/2009)
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Resources

Perusal score