Son of a Gambolier, A

Charles Ives

General Info

Year: 1892 / 1962
Duration: c. 3:50
Difficulty:
Original Medium: College drinking song
Publisher: Peermusic Classical
Cost: Score and Parts - $75.00 | Score Only - $6.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contrabass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:

Bass Drum
Chimes
Crash Cymbals
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

A gambolier may be described as a wandering wastrel -- or as as an oft-sung college song has it, a "rambling wreck." One of Ives's "marches with college tunes in the trio [layered] against the original theme," this one from the mid-1890's (or later) is easily his most intricately woven. Although Ives in his 114 Songs describes both, "A Son of a Gambolier" and, "The Circus Band" (Track 18) as "brass-band marches," there survive not even fragmentary sources. This transcription was made for performances by Keith Wilson and the Yale Band on their first European tour in 1961.

- Program Note by Jonathan Elkus

Media

Audio CD: "The President's Own" United States Marine Band (Timothy W. Foley, conductor)

State Ratings

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Indiana University (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble (Stephen W. Pratt, conductor) –20 April 2017
Indiana University (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble (Paul Popiel, conductor) – 28 March 2007 (CBDNA 2007 National Conference, Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Works for Winds by This Composer

The Alcotts (tr. Elkus) (1920/1947)
The Alcotts (tr. Thurston) (1920/1972)
Charlie Rutlage (tr. Sinclair)
A Christmas Carol (tr. Paxton) (1922/2016)
The Circus Band (tr. Elkus)
A Concord Symphony (tr. Patterson) (1920/2010)
"Country Band" March (tr. Sinclair) (1903/1974)
Decoration Day (tr. Elkus)
Fantasia on "Jerusalem the Golden" (1888)
Finale from "Symphony No. 2" (tr. Elkus) (1907/1974)
Four Eccentric Songs (tr. Paxton) (1922/2016)
Fugue in C (arr. Sinclair) (1900/1992)
Here's to Good Ol' Yale: See: March 6: Here's to Good Ol' Yale
In the Mornin' (arr. Singleton) (1929)
Lento Maestoso and Finale from "Symphony No. 2" (tr. Elkus) (1907/1974/2001)
March 6: Here's to Good Ol' Yale (tr. Elkus) (1897/2003)
March Intercollegiate (ed. Brion) (1892(?)/1973)
Memories, Very Pleasant and and Rather Sad (arr. Elkus) (1922/2011?)
Old Fashioned Hymns (tr. Paxton) (1922/2016)
Old Home Days (arr. Elkus) (1954)
Omega Lambda Chi (ed. Brion) (1896/1974)
Overture and March "1776" (tr. Sinclair) (1904/1910)
Postlude in F (tr. Singleton) (1890-92/1991)
Ragtime Dance No. 4 (trans. Sinclair) (?/1990)
Runaway Horse on Main Street (1908)
A Son of a Gambolier (arr. Elkus) (1892/1962)
Symphony No. 2. See: Lento Maestoso and Finale from "Symphony No. 2" and Finale from "Symphony No. 2"
They are There! (arr. Sinclair)
The Unanswered Question (1908/1935/1989)
Variations on "America" (orch. Schuman, tr. Rhoads) (1891/1968)
Variations on "Jerusalem the Golden" (tr. Brion) (1900/1974)

Resources

"Charles Ives's America." "The President's Own" United States Marine Band. Web. Accessed 28 February 2022
Ives, C.; Elkus, J. (1962). A Son of a Gambolier [score]. Peer International Corp.: New York.