Strike Up the Band

George Gershwin

George Gershwin (arr. Warren Barker)

General Info

Year: 1927 / 1981
Duration: c. 3:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts - $80.00   |   Score Only - $9 .00

Instrumentation

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

• Bass Drum
• Cymbals (crash & suspended)
• Drum Set
• Glockenspiel (bells)
• Snare Drum
• Temple Blocks
• Triangle
• Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The title says it all! What a smashing way to begin a concert, as the genius of Warren Barker's scoring launches a sound that has built-in, guaranteed excitement. The timeless melodies of George and Ira Gershwin have never been better served than in this dazzling work. Very, very high octane!

- Program note by Publisher

Strike Up The Band is the title song for a musical interpretation of George S. Kaufman’s satire about a proud American owner of a cheese factory who is outraged when Switzerland protests a tariff on imported cheese and convinces the U.S. government to declare a war he would finance. George and Ira Gershwin saw this as an opportunity to write in the style of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. The 1927 production never made it out of Philadelphia, as political satire was a hard sell even in an operetta style. The inevitable boy-meets-girl story did produce the classic love song The Man I Love.

- Program note from Music Program Notes for Band and Wind Ensemble Music

Commercial Discography

None discovered thus far.

Media Links

• Reference Recording: Unknown Ensemble and Conductor

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Heisey Wind Ensemble (Newark, Ohio) (Russel C. Mikkelson, conductor) – 27 October 2019
• Petaluma (Calif.) Community Band (Dublin, Calif.) (Arlene Burney, conductor) – 9 June 2019 (Golden Gate Park, San Francisco)
• Humboldt State University (Arcata, Calif.) Wind Ensemble (Paul Cummings, conductor) – 8 November 2018
• Lone Star Symphonic Band (Katy, Tx.) (Bob Bryant, conductor) – 15 October 2017
• Youngstown (Ohio) State University Wind Ensemble (Stephen L. Gage, conductor) – 6 September 2017
• Indiana University (Bloomington) Summer Concert Band (Stephen W. Pratt, conductor) – 21 June 2017
• Walnut Creek (Calif.) Concert Band (Harvey Bernstein, conductor) – 4 July 2016
• San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra (Jennifer Martin, conductor) – 27 September 2015
• Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (San Rafael, Calif.) Non-Marching Band (Adrian L. Quince, conductor) - 9 June 2013
• ACB 2013 Convention Band (Cmdr. (ret.) Allen E. Beck, conductor) - 6 April 2013 (ACB’s 35th Annual Convention (San Ramon, Calif.))
• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Wind Orchestra (Christopher J. Woodruff, conductor) - 8 March 2013
• Heart of Texas Concert Band (Noah D. Taylor, conductor) - 2012
• Capitol Pops Concert Band (Sacramento, Calif.) (Jerry Lopes, conductor) - 5 June 2011

Works for Winds by this Composer

Adaptable Music

• I Got Rhythm (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Story) (1930/2020)
• Rhapsody in Blue (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Murtha) (1924/2020)
• Summertime (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Wada) (1934/2018)

All Wind Works

• An American in Paris (tr. Krance) (1929/1959)
• An American in Paris (arr. Brubaker) (1929/1994)
• An American in Paris (arr. Hoshina) (1929/1980)
• An American in Paris (arr. Nowlin) (1929/2016)
• An American in Paris (arr. Satone) (1929)
• An American in Paris (arr. Tamanini) (1929/2015)
• An American in Paris (orch. Van Gils) (1929/1994)
• Catfish Row (arr. Hunsberger) (1934/2000)
• Concerto in F (arr. Bulla) (1925)
• Concerto in F (arr. Jorge) (1925/2017)
• Cuban Overture (arr. Koekelkoren) (1925/1987)
• Cuban Overture (arr. Rogers) (1933/2001)
• Embraceable You (arr. Barker) (1930 / 1999)
• Fascinatin' Gershwin (arr. Murtha)
• Fascinating Rhythm (arr. Bulla) (1924)
• Fascinating Rhythm (arr. Del Borgo) (1924/1994)
• A Foggy Day in London Town (arr. Ninmer) (1937/)
• George by Fred (arr. Frenkel)
• George Gershwin (arr. Chase) (1971)
• Gershwin! (arr. Barker) (1997)
• Gershwin: A Medley (arr. Bennett) (1972)
• Gershwin by George! (arr. Brubaker) (2015)
• A Gershwin Fantasy (arr. Martino)
• Gershwin on Broadway (arr. Moss) (1991)
• A Gershwin Portrait! (arr. Higgins) (1985)
• A Gershwin Tribute to Love (arr. Heisinger) (2014)
• I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' (arr. Wagner) (1935/2008)
• I Got Rhythm (arr. Davis) (1930)
• I Got Rhythm (arr. Story) (1930/2020)
• I Got Rhythm (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Story) (1930/2020)
• Japanese (arr. Wagner; scored Sandler) (c. 1918/2006)
• The Man I Love (arr. Bergman) (1924)
• March from "Strike Up the Band" (arr. Hearshen) (1927/1987)
• Overture to "Strike Up the Band" (arr. Matsushiro) (1927)
• Porgy and Bess: Selections (arr. Bennett) (1934/1942)
• Porgy and Bess (arr. Barnes) (1934/2002)
• Porgy and Bess Medley (arr. Hermann) (1934/)
• Porgy and Bess Medley (arr. Lowden) (1934/1984)
• Rhapsody in Blue (arr. Hunsberger) (1924/1998)
• Rhapsody in Blue (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Murtha) (1924/2020)
• Rhapsody in Blue (arr. Verrier) (1924)
• Rhapsody in Blue (arr. Grofe) (1924/1942)
• Rhapsody in Blue (tr. Tamanini) 1924/2010)
• Rialto Ripples (arr. Di Scala) (1917/2013)
• 'S Wonderful (arr. Barker) (1919/1996)
• Second Prelude (arr. Krance) (1927/1964)
• Someone to Watch Over Me (arr. Barker) (1926/1995)
• Someone to Watch Over Me (arr. Rumbelow) (1926/2006)
• Strike Up the Band (arr. Barker) (1927)
• Strike Up the Band (arr. Brubaker) (1927)
• Strike Up the Band (arr. Paynter) (1927)
• Strike Up the Band (arr. Pegram) (1927)
• Summertime (arr. Custer) (1934/1995)
• Summertime (arr. Garcia; ed. Shaw) (1934)
• Summertime (arr. Lang) (1934/1959)
• Summertime (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Wada) (1934/2018)
• Summertime from "Porgy and Bess" (arr. Longfield) (1934/2015)
• Swanee (arr. Holcombe) (1919)
• The Symphonic Gershwin (arr. Barker) (2011)
• They Can't Take That Away from Me (arr. Barker) (1937/2001)
• Three Preludes (tr. Williams) (1927/2015)
• A Tribute to Gershwin (arr. Bullock) (20098)
• Walking the Dog (arr. Bourgeois) (1937/2007)

References

• Gershwin, G.; Barker, W. (1981). Strike Up the Band [score]. Warner Brothers: [New York]
• Music Program Notes for Band and Wind Ensemble Music