On the Wings of Swallows

Michael Sweeney

Michael Sweeney

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General Info

Year: 2000
Duration: c. 6:05
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $65.00   |   Score Only (print) - $7.50

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo/Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano 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
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba/String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III

(percussion detail desired)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Taking its title from a quote by Shakespeare's Richard III -- “True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings” -- the composition is a multi-styled piece that moves through a series of "through-composed" sections, avoiding the usual ABA overture style. A distinctively rich, contemporary harmonic structure creates exceptional appeal, and serves to unify the various segments of the work. The various melodic motives are all instantly attractive, and the percussion writing is thoughtfully used to enhance the music rather than just provide energy.

- Program Note from publisher

Commissioned by the North Syracuse (NY) School District in memory of band member Pat Hays.

- Program Note from score

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

• Kansas: III
• Michigan: Junior High B
• Mississippi: III-A
• North Carolina: IV
• Tennessee: III
• West Virginia: III

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Rocky River (Ohio) High School Concert Band (Kelly Baiera, conductor) - 29 January 2023 (Severance Music Center, Cleveland)
• Osmond (Neb.) Community Schools Concert Band (Jerrold Heide, conductor) – 4 March 2014

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

• Perusal score
• Sweeney, M. (2000). On the Wings of Swallows [score]. Hal Leonard: Milwaukee, Wisc.