Twelve Seconds to the Moon

Robert W. Smith

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
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
Bb Bass Clarinet
Eb Contra-alto Clarinet
Eb Alto Saxophone
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Eb Baritone Saxophone
Bb Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium (Bass Clef & Treble Clef)
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 by publisher

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

- Program Note from score

Commercial Discography

• Audio CD: United States Air Force Reserve Band - 2008

Audio Links

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

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

• 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
• 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
• At the Crossroads (1994)
• Bells!
• 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
• Castle Lore
• Celtic Bell Carol
• Celtic Carol (2002)
• Celebration Fanfare from "Buffalo Dances"
• Ceremonium (1994)
• Chatauqua
• Christmas Concerto III
• Christmas Declaration (2009)
• Christmas in the Round
• Christmas Proclamation
• Christmas Hymn
• Cohan Celebration
• Crown of Glory
• 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
• Earhart (2012)
• El Espiritu de Valencia
• 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
• Fiesta La Vida
• Flying Fortress (2019)
• Full Throttle (2015)
• Furioso
• Gentle Winds of Spring (2019)
• Georgia on My Mind (as arranger) (1930/1980)
• Gladiator Finale
• Glorioso
• Goondiwindi
• The Great Locomotive Chase (2000)
• The Great Steamboat Chase (2003)
• The Greatest Generation (2017)
• Greensleeves: See Vaughan Williams Suite
• Groovin' Down Cool Street
• Hadrian's Wall (2010)
• Herndon Exaltations
• Highlights from "Ragtime" (as arranger) (1997)
• Holiday March
• 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
• In a Gentle Rain (2000)
• In the Bleak Mid-winter (Smith)
• Incantations
• Inchon (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
• 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
• Liturgical Fanfare (1995)
• Lullaby for Band
• Maelstrom, The (1997)
• March Grandioso (as arranger) (1909/2007)
• Mighty Empire (2018)
• Mirages
• Morpheus (2004)
• Moto Continuo
• Musical Mayhem (2017)
• A Nation's Strength (2003)
• Navarro
• North Bay Vistas
• Paradiso: See Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Peace Like a River
• Purgatorio: See Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Prairie is My Garden, The (2018)
• Prevailing Winds
• Promising Skies (2010)
• Recession, Depression Holiday Blues, The
• Red: See Krisanna's Colors
• Rising Dragons (2006)
• Rites of Tamburo (1999)
• Repercussions
• The Runaway Sleigh
• Semper Liberi (1998)
• Sensei's Ride on the Cherry Blossom Express (2010)
• Shenandoah (arr. Smith and Story) (2003)
• Solaris
• Songs of Earth, Water, Fire and Sky (1998)
• Songs of Sailor and Sea (1997)
• The Sound and the Fury (1999)
• Southwest Summer (2009)
• Spirit of Orpheus, The (1998)
• Spirit of the Winds
• Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones (as arranger)
• Stone Gardens (2016)
• Suite for the Heroes Among Us (2018)
• Summer Nights (2016)
• Symphonic Festival (1991)
• Symphonic Statement (2006)
• Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy" (1995)
  • The Inferno
  • Purgatorio
  • The Ascension
  • Paradiso
• Symphony No. 2, "The Odyssey" (2004)
  • The Iliad
  • Winds of Poseidon
  • The Isle of Calypso
  • Ithaca
• Symphony No. 3, "Don Quixote" (2008)
  • The Quest
  • Dulcinea
  • Sancho and the Windmills
  • The Illumination
• Symphony of Souls
• Sword of Kings
• The Tempest (1995)
• Teutonic Tales (2010)
  • Damon-Tanz
  • Freya
  • Thor's Hammer
• 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
• Tromba Grande (2016)
• 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (as arranger) (1995)
• Twelve Seconds to the Moon (1996)
• Ultimatum
• Upon a Midnight Clear (as arranger) (2014)
• Valiance: A Heroic Overture for Band
• Vaughan Williams Suite
  • Wassail (as arranger)
  • 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)
• World Holiday Celebration
• Yellow: See Krisanna's Colors

References

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