Unknown Journey, The

Philip Sparke

Philip Sparke

General Info

Year: 2014
Duration: c. 11:30
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Anglo Music, through Music Shop Europe
Cost: Score and Parts - $265.00   |   Score Only - $38.00

Instrumentation

Piccolo I-II
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
E-flat Clarinet
B-flat Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Harp
Timpani
Percussion, including:

• Bass Drum
• Cabasa
• Crash Cymbal
• Glockenspiel
• Snare Drum
• Splash Cymbal
• Suspended Cymbal
• Tambourine
• Tam-tam
• Tom-tom (2)
• Tubular Bells
• Vibraphone
• Wood Block (2)
• Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The Unknown Journey was commissioned by Kwansei Gakuin University Symphony Band (Hisaatsu Kondo, conductor) to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the band, as well as the 125th anniversary of Kwansei Gakuin, in 2014. It was premiered on 8th November, 2014 during the institution’s 125th anniversary celebrations.

Kwansei Gakuin is a Japanese private school which dates back to 1889, when it was founded in Kobe by the American missionary, Reverend Walter Russell Lambuth. Established in 1954, Kwansei Gakuin University Symphony Band has grown to become one of the top college bands in Japan and has undertaken international tours to Canada, the USA, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

In writing The Unknown Journey, composer Philip Sparke wanted to create a piece which, after a brief introduction, started slowly and gradually and inevitably increased in tempo as new material was introduced. He chose the title as the piece seemed to create its own momentum as it developed; as it reaches its seemingly inevitable conclusion it gradually transmogrifies into the closing bars of Ravel’s La Valse, a piece which unsurpassably characterises the idea of unstoppable momentum.

- Program Note from publisher

Media

• Audio: Reference Recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
• Audio CD: Harmonieorkest De Volksgalm Riemst (Frenk Rouschop, conductor) - 2018
• Audio CD: Nagoya University of Arts Wind Orchestra (Masaichi Takeuchi, conductor) – 2015

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Banda Sinfónica Centro Instructivo Musical la Armonica de Buñol (Valencia, Spain) (Andrea Gasperin, conductor) - 30 October 2021

Works for Winds by This Composer

• Atlantic Odyssey (2010)
• Ballad for Benny (2001)
• Bandwagon (2004)
• Barn Dance and Cowboy Hymn (1982)
• Beethoven's Greeting (2008)
• Bestiarium Suite
  • Tropical Fishes (Appermont)
  • Dance of the Whale (Sparke)
  • Tyrannosaurus Rex (Ferran)
  • The Snail (Van der Roost)
  • The Apes (Smith)
  • The Woodworm (Valencia)
  • The Kangaroo (Houben)
  • Charlie, the Chameleon (Alarcon)
  • The Fly (Navarro)
• Between the Two Rivers (2003)
• Big Sky Overture
• Blazon (2010)
• A Bluegrass Overture (2017)
• Bolero (as arranger) (1928/2011)
• Cambridge Intrada
• The Camelot Chronicles
• Carnival (1997)
• Carol of the Shepherds (2001)
• Celebration (1993)
• The Centurion (1988/2000)
• Chorale and Variations (2004)
• Clarinet Calypso (2003)
• Colorado Springs (2007)
• A Colour Symphony (2015)
• Concert Prelude (1976/2000)
• Concertino Classico (2010)
• Concerto for Clarinet (2003)
• Dance Movements (1995)
• Dance of the Whale. See: Bestiarium Suite
• Deserts (2008)
• Diamond Concerto (2012)
• Diversions - Variations on a Swiss Folk Song (1998)
• Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes
• Earth, Water, Sun, Wind (2000)
• An English Sea Song Suite (2006)
• Euphonium Concerto No. 2 (2005)
• Exultation (2010)
• Fanfare for Saint Cecilia (2008)
• Fanfare, Romance and Finale (1990)
• Fantasy for Euphonium (1995)
• A Festive Tribute (J.S. Bach)
• Fiesta! (1998)
• Fiesta de la Vida
• Five Festive Fanfares
• Flying the Breeze (2002/2004)
• The Four Noble Truths (2003/2004)
• Four Norfolk Dances (2001)
• Girl with the Flaxen Hair, The (as arranger) (1910/2007)
• Hail the Dragon! (2010)
• Harlequin (2004)
• Hanover Festival (2000)
• A Huntingdon Celebration (2003)
• Infinity and Beyond... (2001)
• Invictus (2001)
• Jubilee Overture (1983)
• A Klezmer Karnival (2004)
• The Land of the Long White Cloud (1980/1988)
• A Lindisfarne Rhapsody (1998)
• The Long Day Closes (as arranger) (1868/2007)
• Madrigalum (2006)
• Måndalen Landscapes (2004)
• Manhattan (2004)
• Marchissimo (2004)
• Mary's Boy Child (as arranger)
• Masquerade (2003)
• Merry-Go-Round (2002)
• Morning Song (2002)
• Music for a Festival (1985)
• Music of the Spheres (2004)
• Navigation Inn
• Once in Royal David’s City (as arranger)
• Orient Express (1987)
• Out of the Darkness, Into the Light (2003)
• Overture for Woodwinds (2000)
• The Painted Desert (2004)
• Panis Angelicus (as arranger) (1872/2001)
• Pantomime (1988/1996)
• Pastime with Good Company (as arranger) (15--?/2005)
• The Pioneers (2005)
• Portrait of a City (2002)
• Postcard from Singapore (2004)
• A Quiet Moment (2007)
• Reflections
• Reflections on an Old Japanese Folk Song (2015)
• Rhythm and Blues (arr. Wheeler) (1986/2012)
• The Roaring Forties (2008)
• Sailing with the Tall Ships (2012)
• Salute to a Hero (2009)
• A Savannah Symphony (2010)
• Scenes from a Comedy
• The Seasons (2005)
• Shalom! (2001)
• Sierra Nevada (2006)
• Sinfonietta No. 1 (1990)
• Sinfonietta No. 2 (1992)
• Sinfonietta No. 3 (2001)
• Sleepers, Awake! (as transcriber)
• Snow Valley Sleigh Ride (2007)
• Song and Dance (1984)
• Sounds of the Saint Lawrence (2008)
• Spirit of the Sequoia (2004)
• St. Paul's Suite (as arranger) (1912-1913/2017)
• Strathcarron (2002)
• Suite from Hymn of the Highlands (2002)
• The Sun Will Rise Again (2011)
• Sunrise at Angel's Gate (2001)
• Symphonic Metamorphosis (2007)
• Symphony No. 1. See: Earth, Water, Sun, Wind
• Symphony No. 2. See: A Savannah Symphony
• Symphony No. 3. See: A Colour Symphony
• Tales of the River Wye (2007)
• Tallis' Canon (arr. Sparke) (/2012)
• Tameside Overture (1989)
• Te Deum Prelude (as arranger)
• Ten Chorale Preludes (as arranger) (1914/2002)
• Theatre Music (1989)
• Three English Folk Song Miniatures (2013)
• Three Klezmer Miniatures (2009)
• Three Washington Statues (2015)
• To a New Dawn (2000)
• To a Wild Rose (as arranger)
• Tokyo Triptych (2007)
• Trombone Concerto (2007)
• Tuba Concerto (2007)
• The Unknown Journey (2014)
• Valerius Variations (2005)
• Veni Immanuel (2003)
• Victory Fanfare
• A Weekend in New York (2008)
• The White Rose (2002)
• Wilten Festival Overture (1999)
• A Winter's Tale (2010)
• Year of the Dragon (1984/1985)
• Year of the Dragon (2017 edition) (1984/1985/2017)
• A Yorkshire Overture (1991)

Resources

• Perusal score
• Philip Sparke website Accessed 31 March 2022
• Sparke, P.; Kansei Gakuin Daigaku (2016). The Unknown Journey: For Concert Band [score]. Anglo Music Press: London, Eng.