Spoon River

Percy Aldridge Grainger

Percy Aldridge Grainger (arr. Robert Sheldon)

Subtitle: Based on a fiddle-tune transcribed by Grainger

General Info

Year: 1999
Duration: c. 2:30
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Fiddle
Publisher: C. L. Barnhouse
Cost: Score & Parts - $68.00 | Score Only - $5.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Piccolo
Flute
Oboe (doubling English Horn)
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
French Horn I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

Bass Drum
Cymbals
Glockenspiel
Gong (or Tam-Tam)
Snare Drum
Tambourine
Triangle
Tubular Bells
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Incredible music based on a "fiddle" tune as transcribed by Percy Grainger. Robert Sheldon's delightful arrangement transforms the Grainger music into a exquisite band classic which is destined to become a standard of band literature.

- Program Note from publisher

Captain Charles H. Robinson heard the American fiddle tune Spoon River at a country dance in Bradford, Illinois, in 1897. When Edgar Lee Masters published his Spoon River Anthology in 1914, Robinson was amazed by the similar titles. He sent the folk tune to Masters, who sent it to Grainger. Grainger composed Spoon River in 1922, first as a piano solo and later utilizing elastic scoring, which allowed it to be played by any combination of instrumentalists from three to full orchestra. A version for band was performed in 1933 by Edwin Franko Goldman, but it was never published and the parts were lost.

- Program Note from University of North Carolina, Greensboro, University Band concert program, 2 October 2018

Media

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State Ratings

Minnesota - Category I

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Nampa (Id.) High School Wind Ensemble (Phillip Hoesing, conductor - 10 March 2023
Ouachita Baptist University (Arkadelphia, Ark.) Symphonic Band (Jim Lloyd, conductor) – 12 March 2020
Michigan State University (East Lansing) Spartan Youth Wind Symphony (Simon Holoweiko, conductor) – 22 April 2018
Barber Middle School (Acworth, Ga.) Wind Symphony (Robert Grogan, conductor) - 22 March 2019 Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Band Festival, Atlanta, Ga.
Michigan State University (East Lansing) Symphony Band (John T. Madden, conductor) – 22 March 2016
Indiana University Symphonic Band (Tiffany J. Galus, conductor) - 31 March 2015
Antelope (Calif.) High School Wind Ensemble (Sonora Mello, conductor) - 21 March 2014 (2014 Sutherland Wind Festival, Fresno, Calif.)
Cuesta Wind Ensemble (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) (Jennifer Martin, conductor) - 13 May 2012

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Irish Tune from County Derry (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Klarfeld) (1918/2014/2020)
Molly on the Shore (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sheehan) (1920/2020)
O Mensch, Bewein' Dein Sünde Gross (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger; ed. Brand and Brion) (1724?/1937-1942/1987)
Prelude in the Dorian Mode (Flex instrumentation) (as scorer)
Shepherd's Hey (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Fisher) (1918/2020)
Two Movements from "Lincolnshire Posy" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1937/2019)

All Wind Works

Angelus ad Virginem (as arranger) (1940s)
The Annunciation Carol
The Annunciation Carol (tr. Grainger) (13th Cent./1942/1993)
Arrival Platform Humlet (arr. Eichenberger) (1912/)
Arrival Platform Humlet (tr. Simpson) (1912/1916/1995)
Arrival Platform Humlet (tr. Patterson) (1916/2011)
Australian Up-Country Tune (arr. Bainum) (1930/1970)
Bell Piece (ed. Duffy and Ould) (1935/1953/1991)
Blithe Bells (1931)
Blithe Bells (arr. Jager) (1931/1989)
Blithe Bells (ed. Ould) (1931/2013)
A Bridal Lullaby (arr. Hartley)
Brigg Fair (arr. Ballenger) (1905/1991)
British Waterside (arr. Moss) (1921)
British Waterside (arr. Wilson) (1921/1998)
Children's March (rev. Erickson) (1919/1971)
Children's March (rev. Rogers) (1919/1995)
Children's March (arr. Wagner) (1919/2000)
Choral No 2 for Organ (as scorer; ed. Rogers) (1890/1941/20--?)
Colonial Song (1912/1918)
Colonial Song (ed. Rogers) (1918/1997)
Colonial Song (ed. Topolewski) (1918/2001)
Colonial Song (arr. Wagner) (1919/2014)
Country Gardens (1918/1990)
Country Gardens (arr. Sousa, Brion and Schissel) (1918/1953)
Country Gardens (arr. Karrick) (1918/2013)
Country Gardens (arr. Clark) (1918/1931)
County Derry Air (ed. Ould)
The Cutting of the Hay (arr. Wilson)
Danish Folk Music Suite (arr. Kreines) (1926-41/1950/)
Danny Deever (arr. Carpenter)
Danny Deever (tr. Ragsdale). See: Three Tragic Ballads
Died for Love
Died for Love (arr. Conway) (1912/2011?)
Down Longford Way & Shenandoah (as orchestrator; arr. Osmon) (1928/1935/1990)
The Duke of Marlborough Fanfare (1939)
The Duke of Marlborough Fanfare (ed. Hunsberger) (1939/2000)
The Duke of Marlborough Fanfare (arr. Ragsdale) (1939/1995)
Early One Morning (arr. Kreines). See: Two Grainger Melodies
Eastern Intermezzo (arr. Warshaw) (1899/1922/)
Faeroe Island Dance (1946//1954/1969)
Father and Daughter. See: Three Tragic Ballads
Folk Tune (as arranger) (1923/1942)
Four Grainger Songs (arr. Svanoe) (2003) (unpublished)
Gay but Wistful (tr. Patterson) (1916/2011)
Gay But Wistful. See also: Tune in a Popular London Style
A Grainger Threesome (arr. Ragsdale) (2007)
Green Bushes (1906/2007) (tr. Pappajohn)
Green Bushes. See also: Themes from "Green Bushes"
Gumsucker's March (arr. Rogers) (1914/1942/1996)
Handel in the Strand (arr. Brion and Schissel) (1912/2001)
Handel in the Strand (arr. Goldman) (1912/1961)
Handel in the Strand (arr. Rohrer) (1912/2015)
Harlem 125th Street Walkabout (arr. Hartley)
Harvest Hymn (tr. Kreines) (1940/1983)
Hill Song No. 1 (1902)
Hill Song No. 1 (adapt. Rogers) (1901/1922/1923/1997)
Hill-Song Nr. 1 (trans. Clark) (1901/1922/1923/2019)
Hill Song No. 2 (arr. Rogers) (1907/1929/1990)
Horkstow Grange from "Lincolnshire Posy" (adapt. Sweeney) (1937/2008)
The Hunter in His Career (arr. Robinson)
The Immovable Do (1940)
I'm Seventeen Come Sunday (tr. Daehn) (1905-12/1987)
I'm Seventeen Come Sunday (arr. Wagner) (1905-12/1999)
In a Nutshell (tr. Patterson) (1916/2011)
In Dahomey (arr. Miller)
Irish Tune (arr. Stotter) (1918)
Irish Tune from County Derry (1918)
Irish Tune from County Derry (arr. Clark and Schmidt) (1918/2001)
Irish Tune from County Derry (arr. Erickson) (1918/1970)
Irish Tune from County Derry (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Klarfeld) (1918/2014/2020)
Irish Tune from County Derry (arr. Kreines) (1918/1996)
Irish Tune from County Derry (ed. Renshaw) (1918)
Irish Tune from County Derry (ed. Rogers) (1918/1994)
Irish Tune from County Derry/Shepherd's Hey (tr. Stamp) (1918/2021)
The Jungle Book Suite (arr. Ragsdale) (2011)
Jutish Medley (arr. Kreines) (1923-1929/)
Lads of Wamphray March (1905/1941)
Lads of Wamphray March (ed. Kreines) (1905/1937/2003)
Lads of Wamphray Ballad (arr. Ragsdale) (1905/2018)
Lincolnshire Posy (1937/1940)
Lincolnshire Posy (ed. Fennell) (1937/1987/2010)
Lincolnshire Posy (ed. Fennell; rev. Rogers) (1937/1987/2010/2020)
Lincolnshire Posy (arr. Higgins) (1937/2008)
Lincolnshire Posy (arr. Osika) (1937/)
Lisbon from "Lincolnshire Posy" (adapt. Sweeney) (1937/2017)
Lord Maxwell's Goodnight (orch. Wilson)
Lord Peter's Stable Boy (1925/1930)
Lord Peter's Stable Boy (arr. Kreines)
Lost Lady Found (arr. Sweeney) (1937/2011)
March (as arranger) (1946)
Marching Song of Democracy (1917/1948/1991)
Marching Song of Democracy (ed. Brion) (1917/1948/1991)
Marching Tune (2013) (arr. Story)
The Merry King (ed. Schissel) (1905/2006)
Mock Morris (arr. Kreines) (1910/1991)
Mock Morris (arr. Patterson) (1910/ )
Mock Morris (arr. Perna) (1910/2010/2016)
Mock Morris (arr. Simpson) (2010/1993)
Molly on the Shore (ed. Rogers) (1920/1998)
Molly on the Shore (ed. Clark and Schmidt) (1920/2002)
Molly on the Shore (arr. Johnston) (1920/2011)
Molly on the Shore (tr. Ragsdale) (1920/1978)
My Dark-Haired Maid (ed. Ragsdale) (1899)
My Robin Is to the Greenwood Gone (arr. Strum) (1912/1999)
Near Woodstock Town (arr. Cramer) (2004)
Nightingale and the Two Sisters, The (arr. Kreines) (1931)
Northern March. See: Youthful Suite
O Mensch, Bewein' Dein Sünde Gross (Flex instrumentation) (setting) (1724?/1937-1942/1987)
Pagodes from "Estampes" (as arranger) (1903/1928/1996)
A Percy Grainger Portrait (arr. Wagner) (2010)
Percy Grainger Suite (arr. Kreines) (1983)
A Percy Grainger Suite (arr. Erickson) (1996)
The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart (1947/1953)
Prelude in the Dorian Mode (Flex instrumentation) (as scorer)
Scotch Strathspey and Reel (arr. Osmon) (1901-1911/1982)
Sehet was die liebe tut (as arranger) (1937)
Sheep Shearing Song (as arranger) (1904/1923/1942/2017)
Shenandoah (arr. Osmon)
Shepherd's Hey (1918)
Shepherd's Hey (arr. Clark) (1918/2001)
Shepherd's Hey (ed. Rogers) (1918/1994)
Shepherd's Hey (arr. De Stefano) (1918/2012)
Shepherd's Hey (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Fisher) (1918/2020)
Spoon River (1919-29/1940s)
Spoon River (arr. Bainum) (1922/1967/2009)
Spoon River (ed. Carson & Naylor) (1922/2010)
Spoon River (arr. Sheldon) (1922)
Spoon River (arr. Story) (1922/2014)
Six Dukes Went A-Fishin' (arr. Kreines)
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol (scored Goldman) (1916/1965)
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol (arr. Clark) (1916/1996)
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol (arr. Simpson) (1916/1988)
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol (arr. Stotter) (1911/1916/2006)
Themes from "Green Bushes" (arr. L. Daehn) (1906/1987)
This is Not My Plaid (arr. Ragsdale) (2014)
The Three Ravens. see: Three Tragic Ballads
Three Tragic Ballads (arr. Ragsdale) (1924, 1902, 1909/2016)
- Danny Deever (1902/1909/2016)
- The Three Ravens (1902/2000)
- Father and Daughter
A Tribute to Grainger (arr. Ragsdale) (1999)
Tune in a Popular London Style (arr. Rogers) (1916/2005)
Tuscan Serenade (as arranger) (1865/1937/1994)
Two Grainger Melodies (trans. Kreines) (1912/1988)
Two Grainger Sweets - Harvest Hymn and Mock Morris (arr. Krienes)
Two Movements from "Lincolnshire Posy" (arr. Ryan) (1937/2019)
Two Movements from "Lincolnshire Posy" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1937/2019)
Walking Tune (1900)
Walking Tune (arr. Daehn) (1900/1940/1988)
Walking Tune (arr. Simpson)
The Warriors (tr. Pappajohn) (1916/1998)
We Have Fed Our Sea for a Thousand Years (1911)
The Widow's Party (arr. Moon) (1923/1929/2011)
The Widow's Party (arr. Osmon) (1923/1929/2009)
Willow, Willow (1911/1992) (orch. Simpson)
Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon (1949)
Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon (arr. Ragsdale) (1903/1936/2008)
Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon (arr. Sweeney) (1949/2006)
Youthful Suite (tr. Rogers) (1899/1950)
- Northern March (arr. Rogers) (c. 1900/2010)
- Rustic Dance (1899/1950/2010)
- Eastern Intermezzo
- English Waltz (1899-1901/1940-1947/1999)
Zanzibar Boat Song (arr. Hazzard) (1902/2013)

Resources