Spirit of Orpheus, The

Robert W. Smith

Robert W. Smith

Subtitle: A Sinfonia Celebration

General Info

Year: 1998
Duration: c. 7:35
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $75.00; (digital) - $75.00   |   Score Only (print) - $10.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
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
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

• Bass Drum
• Beaded Gourd
• Crash Cymbals
• Gong
• Marimba
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Tambourine
• Tom-Tom
• Triangle
• Wind Chimes

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Commissioned by the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Foundation, this brilliant new composition by Robert W. Smith follows in a long line of high-energy, vibrantly-descriptive and excitingly-scored works. Set as a tribute to musicians past and present, all of the Smith trademarks are present in this tune, guaranteeing your musicians will thoroughly enjoy rehearsals and audiences will rise to their feet applauding at performance conclusion. A truly important new musical statement!

- Program Note from publisher

In Greek mythology, Orpheus was a Thracian musician whose magical skill on the lyre enabled him to charm the trees, rivers and stones, as well as wild beasts. He was the son of Calliope, the use of eepc poetry, and Tracian river-god. Orpheus married the nymph Eurydice, but she soon died, bitten on the heel by a snake. Her grieving husband followed her to the underworld and, by playing on his lyre, charmed the deities into releasing her.

The Spirit of Orpheus was composed as a tribute to the musicians past and presnt of Phi u Alpha Sinfonia. Their contributions to the world of music have been immeasurable.

- Program Note by composer

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

• Alabama: Class B
• Indiana: ISSMA SENIOR BAND GROUP II
• Kansas: III
• South Carolina: IV
• Tennessee: V
• Virginia: V

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Maybrook (N.Y.) Wind Ensemble (Kevin Scott, conductor) – 20 May 2016
• Honeoye Falls (N.Y.) Community Concert Band - 2012

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

• Christmas Declaration (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Glover) (2009/2019)

All Wind Works

• Aces (2015)
• Ain't No Stoppin' Us (2007)
• Affirmation Overture (1991)
• Africa: Ceremony, Song and Ritual (1994)
• All Is Calm (as arranger) (2002)
• American Bell Carol (2012)
• An American Christmas (2004)
• American Dances (Brass Ensemble) (2017)
  • Rag
  • Square
  • Swing
• American Dances (Wind Ensemble) (2017/2018-2019)
  • Rag (2017/2019)
  • Square (2017/2019)
  • Swing (2017/2018)
• American Flourish (2009)
• American Landscape I (2006)
• American Portrait I
• And to All a Good Night (2004)
• Angels, from the Realms of Glory (as arranger) (1816/1999)
• Apollo Fanfare
• The Ascension. See: Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Ash Lawn Echoes (1993)
• At Daybreak (2009)
• At the Crossroads (1994)
• Bells! (2009)
• Beyond the Bell Carol (2018)
• Blue. See: Krisanna's Colors
• Brazil: Ceremony, Song and Samba (2009)
• Brazilian Bell Carol (2016)
• Buffalo Dances (2006)
• By Loch and Mountain (1997)
• Cameroon (2004)
• Castle Lore
• Celtic Bell Carol (2010)
• Celtic Carol (2002)
• Celebration Fanfare from "Buffalo Dances" (2006)
• Ceremonium (1994)
• Chautauqua (2004)
• Christmas Concerto III
• Christmas Declaration (2009)
• Christmas Declaration (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Glover) (2009/2019)
• A Christmas Festival (Grade II) (as arranger) (1950/2007)
• A Christmas Festival (Grade III) (as transcriber) (1950/2007)
• Christmas Hymn (2001)
• Christmas in the Round (2001)
• A Christmas Proclamation (2008)
• Christmas Spectacle (as arranger) (2020)
• Cohan Celebration
• Crown of Glory (2009)
• Crush (2013)
• Currents (2006)
• Dance Celebration (2000)
• Danza
• Deck the Halls with Drums and Voices
• Declaration and Flourish. See: Vaughan Williams Suite
• Declaration in Blue (2002)
• Divine Comedy. See: Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Dramatico
• Dreams (2010)
• Dueling Dragons (2009)
• Earhart (2012)
• El Espiritu de Valencia (2009)
• Encanto (1989/2007)
• Eternal Peaks (2006)
• Evening Alleluias
• Fanfare and Processional on an Old English Carol (1999)
• Fanfare for a Holiday Celebration (2006)
• Fanfare for Tomorrow (2006)
• Fiesta La Vida (2009)
• Flying Fortress (2019)
• Full Throttle (2015)
• Furioso
• Gentle Winds of Spring (2019)
• Georgia on My Mind (as arranger) (1930/1980)
• Gladiator Finale
• Glorioso (1997)
• Goondiwindi
• The Great Locomotive Chase (2000)
• The Great Steamboat Chase (2003)
• The Greatest Generation (2017)
• Greensleeves. See: Vaughan Williams Suite
• Groovin' Down Cool Street (2009)
• Hadrian's Wall (2010)
• Herndon Exaltations (1997)
• Highlights from "Ragtime" (as arranger) (1997)
• Holiday March (with Michael Story) (2006)
• Holst Winter Suite
  • On This Day Earth Shall Ring (as arranger) (1924/2001)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (as arranger) (1906/1992)
  • Old Brenton Carol (as arranger) (1910/2001)
• Hoosier Suite
• Hymnsong Variants (1996)
• In a Gentle Rain (2000)
• In the Bleak Mid-Winter
• Incantations (1992)
• Inchon (2001)
• Inchon (adapt. Ninmer) (2001/)
• The Inferno. See: Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Into the Storm (1994)
• Ireland: Of Legend and Lore (1996)
• Irish Songs for Solo and Band (2007)
• Jingle Bells Forever (1998)
• Journeys in Time
• King of Kings (1998)
• Krisanna's Colors (2015-2017)
  • Red (2017)
  • Blue (2015)
  • Yellow (2016)
• Kronos (2003)
• Latin Bell Carol (2008)
• Liturgical Fanfare (1995)
• Lullaby for Band (2007)
• The Maelstrom (1997)
• March Grandioso (as arranger) (1909/2007)
• Mighty Empire (2018)
• A Minor Holiday Celebration (as arranger) (2019)
• Mirages (2009)
• Morpheus (2004)
• Moto Continuo (2009)
• Musical Mayhem (2017)
• A Nation's Strength (2003)
• Navarro (2009)
• North Bay Vistas (2007)
• On Eagle's Wings (1999)
• Paradiso. See: Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Peace Like a River
• Purgatorio. See: Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• The Prairie is My Garden (2018)
• Prevailing Winds (2009)
• Promising Skies (2010)
• The Recession, Depression Holiday Blues (2009)
• Red. See: Krisanna's Colors
• Relativo (2011)
• Rising Dragons (2006)
• Rites of Tamburo (1999)
• Repercussions (2007)
• The Runaway Sleigh (2007)
• Semper Liberi (1998)
• Sensei's Ride on the Cherry Blossom Express (2010)
• Serengeti Dreams (2000)
• Shenandoah (arr. Smith and Story) (2003)
• Solaris (2009)
• Songs of Earth, Water, Fire and Sky (1998)
• Songs of Sailor and Sea (1997)
• The Sound and the Fury (1999)
• Southwest Summer (2009)
• The Spirit of Orpheus (1998)
• Spirit of the Winds (2007)
• The Star of Dreams (2002)
• Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones (as arranger)
• Stone Gardens (2016)
• Suite for the Heroes Among Us (2018)
• Summer Nights (2016)
• The Sword of Kings (2007)
• Symphonic Festival (1991)
• Symphonic Statement (2006)
• Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy" (1995)
  • The Inferno
  • Purgatorio (1997)
  • The Ascension (1994)
  • Paradiso (1996)
• Symphony No. 2, "The Odyssey" (2004)
  • The Iliad (2001)
  • Winds of Poseidon (1999)
  • The Isle of Calypso (2001)
  • Ithaca (2004)
• Symphony No. 3, "Don Quixote" (2008)
  • The Quest (2008)
  • Dulcinea (2008)
  • Sancho and the Windmills (2008)
  • The Illumination (2008)
• Symphony of Souls (2007)
• The Tempest (1995)
• Teutonic Tales (2010)
  • Damon-Tanz (2011)
  • Freya (2011)
  • Thor's Hammer (2011)
• Three Fanfares for a Celebration (2007)
• Through the Vulcan's Eye (1996)
• To Dance in the Secret Garden (1996)
• To Challenge the Sky and Heavens Above (2000)
• To the Summit! (2001)
• Top Gun (1986)
• Triton Fanfare (2009)
• Tromba Grande (2016)
• 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (as arranger) (1995)
• Twelve Seconds to the Moon (1996)
• Ultimatum (2009)
• Upon a Midnight Clear (as arranger) (2014)
• Üsküdar (with Michael Story) (2005)
• Valiance: A Heroic Overture for Band (2007)
• Vaughan Williams Suite
  • Wassail (as arranger) (2006)
  • Greensleeves (as arranger) (2007)
  • Declaration and Flourish (2008)
• Walking the Planks (2012)
• When Summer Takes Flight (2002)
• Where the Black Hawk Soars (1995)
• Wind Song (2017)
• A World Holiday Celebration (2007)
• Yellow. See: Krisanna's Colors

Resources

• Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "Robert W. Smith." Accessed 20 May 2016
• Robert W. Smith website Accessed 6 September 2021
• Smith, R. (1998). The Spirit of Orpheus: A Sinfonian Celebration [score]. Belwin-Mills Pub. Corp.: [United States]