Symphonic Overture

James Barnes

James Barnes

This work bears the designation Opus 80.

General Info

Year: 1991
Duration: c. 9:40
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Southern Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $175.00   |   Score Only - $37.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II-III
Oboe I-II
English Horn (optional)
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon (optional)
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra-Alto Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III (all div. a2)
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Cello (optional)
String Bass (optional)
Harp (optional)
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:

• Bass Drum
• Bells
• Castanets
• Chimes
• Crash Cymbals
• Guiro
• Pop Gun
• Sandpaper Blocks
• Sleigh Bells
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Tam-tam
• Tambourine
• Triangles (2)
• Vibraphone
• Wood Block
• Xylophone

Errata

In Parts:

• B-flat Soprano Clarinet I: Number 25 is missing.
• Horn in F I, 3 meas. before 4B: A natural, not a B.

Program Notes

This work was commissioned as a "large, Romantic-style overture" by Lt. Col. James M. Bankhead to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force Band. The band premiered the work at the March 1991 American Bandmasters Association convention in Tempe, Arizona.

After a bold and extended introductory fanfare, followed by the principal theme in solo oboe, the middle section features a lengthy alto saxophone solo. A second fast development, including some special "champagne music" (complete with a cork sound for the celebration), recaps the opening fanfare in a presto coda.

- Program Note from Program Notes for Band

Media

• Audio CD: The Naperville Winds (Sean Kelley, conductor) - 2022

State Ratings

• Georgia: VI
• Indiana: ISSMA SENIOR BAND GROUP I
• New York: Concert Band VI
• North Carolina: VI
• South Carolina: VI
• Virginia: VI

• MusicFest Canada: B600

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• University of Florida (Gainesville) Concert Bands (Archie G. Birkner IV, conductor) - 6 March 2023
• University of Toronto (Ont., Can.) Wind Symphony (Pratik Gandhi, conductor) - 3 December 2022
• McAllen (Tx.) Wind Ensemble (Roger Olivares, conductor) - 10 May 2022
• The Naperville (Ill.) Winds (Sean Kelley, conductor) - 9 December 2021
• United States Air Force Band (Washington, D.C.) (Jason S. Plosch, conductor) - 11 June 2021
• Edina (Minn.) High School Concert Band (Paul Kile, conductor) – 6 November 2017
• Foothill Symphonic Band (Palo Alto, Calif.) (David Bruce Adams, conductor) – 12 March 2017
• U.S. Military Academy (West Point, N.Y.) Band (Tod Addison, conductor) – 21 January 2017
• University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Wind Ensemble (Angela Holt, conductor) – 12 October 2016
• La Salle College (Philadelphia, Penn.) Wind Orchestra (NGAI Lung Ching, Kelvin, conductor) - 12 July 2014
• San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Wind Orchestra (David Rackley, conductor) - 20 March 2010
• Senzoku Gakuen College (Kanagawa, Japan) Wind Orchestra (James Barnes, conductor) – 24 December 2000 (2000 Midwest Clinic)
• Toulouse Wind Orchestra (Marc Ursule, conductor) - 21 October 2015

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

• Westridge Overture (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Barber) (1983/1991/2021)
• Yorkshire Ballad (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Barber) (1985/2021)

All Wind Works

• All Pleasant Things... (1998)
• Alpine Holiday (2014)
• Alvamar Overture (1981)
• Appalachian Overture (1983)
• Arioso and Presto (2001)
• Autumn Soliloquy (1987)
• Bayerisches Osterfest (2014)
• Beautiful Oregon (2007)
• Breckenridge (1989)
• Brookshire Suite (1980)
• Burnished Brass (2020)
• Caribbean Hideaway (1997)
• Carnaval in São Paulo (2003)
• Centennial Celebration Overture (1986)
• Century Tower (1984)
• Chorale and Jubiloso (1998)
• Chorale Prelude on a German Folk Tune (1986)
• Citadel (2015)
• Concerto for Euphonium (2011)
• Concerto for Tuba (tr. Rogers) (1996)
• Credo (2016)
• Crossgate (1984)
• Dance Variants (2017)
• Danza Sinfonica (2005)
• Desperate Pursuit (2010/2012)
• Dexter Park Celebration (2017)
• Dramatic Overture (2021)
• Dream Journey (1997)
• Eagle Bend (2000)
• Eaglecrest (1984)
• Eighth Symphony (2017)
• Eisenhower Centennial (1992)
• Escenas de los Aztecas (2012)
• Fanfare and Capriccio (2001)
• Fanfare and Processional (2018)
• Fanfares and Alleluias (1996)
• Fantasy Variations (1988)
• Festival Concert March (1982)
• Fifth Symphony (2003)
• First Symphony. See: Symphony
• Fourth Symphony (ed. Rogers) (1999/2001)
• Foxfire (2001)
• Golden Festival Overture (1997)
• Goldene Kameraden (2014)
• Heatherwood Portrait (1983)
• High Plains Overture (1991)
• Hobart Centennial March (2002)
• Home on the Range (as arranger; harm. Ralston) (1873/1992)
• Hope Arises
• Hunter Park (1974)
• Impressions of Japan (1994)
• Inspiration Point (1997)
• Inventions on Marching Songs (1996)
• Invocation and Toccata (1982)
• Jubilation Overture (2005)
• Legend (1992)
• A Leroy Anderson Portrait (as arranger) (1982)
• A Light in the Wilderness (1995)
• The Lightning Brigade (2018)
• Lonely Beach (1993)
• The Long Gray Line (1988)
• Lyric Interlude (1980)
• Majestic (2023)
• Malagueña (as arranger) (1928/2016)
• Maracas from Caracas (2002)
• Meditation (2017)
• My Old Kentucky Home (as arranger) (1853/1997)
• Ninth Symphony (2019)
• Nulli Secundus (1999)
• The Old Guard (1994)
• Pagan Dances (1996)
• The Perishing Rifles (1997)
• Poetic Intermezzo (1985)
• Porgy and Bess (as arranger) (1928/2002)
• Prairie Winds Festival (2016)
• A Prayer for Higashi Nihon (2011)
• Quest (2016)
• Rapscallion (1976)
• Rhapsodic Essay (1999)
• Ritmico (2018)
• Riverfest (1985)
• Romanza (1989)
• Scarlet and Silver Jubilee (2007/2009)
• Second Symphony (2000)
• Seventh Symphony. See: Symphonic Requiem
• The Silver Gazebo (1996)
• Sixth Symphony (2006)
• A Solemn Prelude (2003)
• Sorcery Suite (2002)
• Spitfire Overture (1991)
• Sterling Brass (1981/1998)
• Stone Meadows (1987)
• Sunflower Saga (1994)
• Symphonic Essay (2012)
• Symphonic Overture (1991)
• Symphonic Requiem (2015)
• Symphony (1974-75)
• Symphony No. 1. See: Symphony
• Symphony No. 2. See: Second Symphony
• Symphony No. 3. See: Third Symphony
• Symphony No. 4. See: Fourth Symphony
• Symphony No. 5. See: Fifth Symphony
• Symphony No. 6. See: Sixth Symphony
• Symphony No. 7. See: Symphonic Requiem
• Symphony No. 8. See: Eighth Symphony
• Symphony No. 9. See: Ninth Symphony
• Tchaikovsky Suite (as arranger) (1878/2004)
• The Texans (1986)
• Third Symphony (1997)
• Threnody (2015)
• Three Symphonic Fanfares (1989)
  • Fanfare for West Point
• Toccata Fantastica (2001)
• Torch Dance (1985)
• Trail of Tears (1989)
• Trailridge Saga (1988)
• Tribute (2011)
• Twin Oaks (2000)
• Variants on a Moravian Hymn (1993)
• A Very American Overture (1996)
• Visions Macabres (1978/1984/2006)
• We the People (1990)
• Westport Overture (1988)
• Westridge Overture (1983/1991)
• Westridge Overture (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Barber) (1983/1991/2021)
• The Whistler and His Dog (as arranger) (1905/2005)
• The Wild Blue Yonder (2008)
• Wildwood Overture (2003)
• The Wizard of Oz (as arranger) (1939/1995)
• Yama Midori (2003)
• Yorkshire Ballad (1985)
• Yorkshire Ballad (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Barber) (1985/2021)

Resources

• Barnes, J. (1992). Symphonic Overture [score]. Southern Music: San Antonio, Tex.
• Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, pp. 37-38.