Twelve Seconds to the Moon

Robert W. Smith

General Info

Year: 1996
Duration: c. 12:06
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co.
Cost: Score and Parts - $200.00 | Score Only - $9.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II-III
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Eb Contra-alto Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Piano
Celeste (optional)
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:

Anvil
Bass Drum
Bells
Crash Cymbals
Gong
Marimba
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Tom-Tom
Triangle
Vibraphone
Wind Chimes
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Twelve Seconds to the Moon is a celebration of man's conquest of the sky and the heavens above. While the Wright Brothers' first manned flight lasted a mere twelve seconds, astronauts were soon walking the surface of the moon. Robert W. Smith's spectacular sonic adventure stretches the envelope with some of the most exotic and adventurous scoring for percussion and winds ever achieved. Searing and blistering musical lines merge with explosive percussion to make this one of the most sensational works for wind ensemble or concert band in concert band literature today.

- Program Note from publisher

Commissioned by the Air Force Band of Flight, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, Colonel Richard A. Shelton, Conductor.

- Program Note from score

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: United States Air Force Reserve Band - 2008

State Ratings

Minnesota: I
South Carolina: V
Virginia: VI

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Franklin & Marshall College (Lancaster, Penn.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Brian Norcross, conductor) – 8 November 2019
Merion Concert Band (Narberth, Penn.) (Nathan Snyder, conductor) – 7 April 2019
Ann Arbor (Mich.) Pioneer High School Symphony Band (David A. Leach, conductor) - 24 March 2012
2001 TMEA 5A All-State Symphonic Band (Anthony Maiello, conductor) – 11 February 2001

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

Smith, R. (1996). Twelve Seconds to the Moon [score]. Belwin-Mills: [U.S.A.]
Robert W. Smith website Accessed 6 September 2021