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On a Tune of William Billings
General Info
Year: 2015
Duration: c. 3:00
Difficulty: II (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Belwin-Mills
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $62.00; (digital) - $62.00 | Score Only (print) - $10.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:
- Bass Drum
- Bells
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Triangle
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
This appealing work is based upon the well-known canon (or round) When Jesus Wept by the American choral composer William Billings (1746-1800). The selection is presented in three sections, each with its own personality. The tune is first marked “With dignity, but not too slowly.” Following this, a quicker more rhythmic version of the tune leads to a concluding treatment of the tune. This final contrapuntal presentation is scored as a round and leads to a satisfying finale, T
- Program Note from The Instrumentalist
William Billings (1746-1800) was by all historical accounts the first American professional composer and arranger. His legacy lives on today through the tunes and texts (mostly sacred) that have become fixed parts of our musical landscape.
One particular composition form of his invention, the “fuging tune,” is a highly imitative melody performed as a round or canon. No doubt his most easily recognized work in this genre is When Jesus Wept, a tune that has been used by many contemporary instrumental and choral writers in larger works.
This title captures the emotion and depth of Billings’ original tune and text, while presenting a playable selection full of tonal color and compositional variety.
- Program Note adapted from Roma Middle School Symphonic Winds concert program, 15 December 2016
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Roma (Texas) Middle School Symphonic Winds (Corey L. Graves, conductor) - 15 December 2016 (2016 Midwest Clinic)
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- You'll Be Back (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2015/2020)
All Wind Works
- American Salute (as arranger)
- Annabel Lee (2000)
- And All the Bells on Earth Shall Ring
- Appalachian Tapestry (2009)
- Baba Yetu (as arranger) (2005/2015)
- Beetlejuice (as arranger) (1988/2015)
- Brother James' Air (as arranger) (1915/1995)
- Canticle (1996)
- Carols from the British Isles (as arranger) (2013)
- A Celtic Christmas
- Children's March (as arranger) (1919/2000)
- Christmas Bells Overture (2010)
- Christmas from the '50s (2009)
- A Classic Christmas
- Cole Porter Classics (as arranger) (2004)
- Colonial Song (as arranger) (1919/2014)
- The Dam Busters March (as arranger) (2004)
- Doctor Who (as arranger) (1963/2015)
- Down in Some Lonesome Valley (2002)
- Ellan Vannin Suite
- Engines of Change (2015)
- Festivo (as arranger) (1968/2008
- From Sea to Shining Sea (as scorer; arr. Whitney) (1882/1963/2017))
- Glory! (2016)
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (as arranger) (1944/2006)
- Hymn for Those Who Serve (2015)
- I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' (as arranger)
- I'm Seventeen Come Sunday (as arranger) (1905-12/1999)
- Irish Suite: The Last Rose of Summer (as arranger) (1950/2010)
- Irish Suite: The Wearing of the Green (as arranger) (1947/2009)
- Japanese (as arranger) (2006)
- March for a Norwegian Penguin
- March On, America! (as arranger) (2014)
- Morris Dance Tunes (as arranger) (1910/2010)
- On a Tune of William Billings (2015)
- Over the Sea to Skye (as arranger) (2014)
- Promenade (as arranger) (1945/2017)
- A Quiet Music (2007)
- A Ralph Vaughan Williams Portrait (as arranger) (2018)
- Screamers! (as arranger) (2013)
- Selections from Leroy Anderson's "Irish Suite" (as arranger) (2011)
- Slane (as arranger) (1994)
- Three Movements from "Water Music" (as arranger) (1715/2014)
- Two Variants on Dives and Lazarus (2014)
- U.S. Field Artillery March (as arranger)
- A Vaughan Williams Christmas (as arranger) (1999)
- We Will Remember Them (2021)
- Windforce (2016)
- You'll Be Back (as arranger) (2015/2020)
- You'll Be Back (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2015/2020)
Resources
- "New Music Reviews." The Instrumentalist 70.5 (2015): 47. Print