Pioneers, The
General Info
Year: 2005
Duration: c. 6:00
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Anglo Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $94.00 | Score Only - $19.95
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
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-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Double Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:
- Bongos
- Crash Cymbal
- Glockenspiel
- Maracas
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Triangle
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Great Britain has had a National Youth Brass Band since 1952, which caters for players between the ages of 12 and 18 and has produced many outstanding instrumentalists in its distinguished history.
An exciting development took place in July 2004 when the first summer course of a new National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain, for players between the ages of 8 and 13, was held in Bromsgrove, Worcester. Renowned cornet soloist and conductor Lynda Nicholson was appointed music director, and she commissioned Philip Sparke to write a piece for this inaugural course. The Pioneers was the result.
The title refers to the fact that the NCBBGB was starting out on a new adventure but is also a salute to the bicentenary of an expedition by two of the composer’s heroes – Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They were commissioned by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson to find the headwaters of the Mississippi and a route to the Pacific Ocean following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled the size of USA. They set out, as the ‘Corps of Discovery’, from Louisville, Kentucky, in May 1804; not only did they succeed in reaching the Pacific through hostile territory, but also found their way back - in three years! The piece is not descriptive of the journey but gives the composer the opportunity to celebrate the 200th anniversary of this amazing feat.
- Program note by publisher
Here's a celebratory piece commemorating the 200th anniversary of Lewis and Clark expedition. Multi-metered and rhythmic, and full of imagination as is so typical of Sparke's writing. Jubilant and festive, this is meaty stuff that will help your band reach for that next level of performance!
- Program note by publisher
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Brock University (St. Catherines, Ont. Can.) Wind Ensemble (Zoltan Kalman, conductor) - 7 December 2021
- Sacramento State Concert Band (Jan-Ian Mason, conductor) - 28 November 2012
- Hualien (Taiwan) Ming Yih Primary School Music Class, Band A (Qing Su, conductor) - September 2011
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)