Variants on a Moravian Hymn
Subtitle: Morning Star, O Cheering Sight.
This work bears the designation Opus 82.
General Info
Year: 1992
Duration: c. 9:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Keiser Southern Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $169.95 | Score Only (print) - $25.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Condensed Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II-III
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Synthesizer
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including:
- Bass Drum
- Castanet
- Claves
- Crash Cymbal
- Glockenspiel
- Ratchet
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tambourine
- Tam-tam
- Tom-tom
- Triangle
- Tubular Bells
- Vibraphone
- Woodblock
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
This work was commissioned by the Freedom High School Band to celebrate the 250th anniversary of that school's hometown: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Realizing that Bethlehem was in the very center of the many settlements of Moravian Baptists who founded this city, the composer searched for some sort of musical identity that would be appropriate, and found an obscure, but very beautiful, Moravian Christmas hymn entitled Morning Star, O Cheering Sight. Instead of composing a normal "theme and variations" based on this hymn, Barnes opted to save the tune in its entirety until the very end when introduced by a trombone choir, so it is essentially a "variations and theme". The instrumentation was chosen because the Moravians are most famous for their wonderful trombone choirs accompanying the singing in their church services.
- Program Note adapted from publisher
Media
State Ratings
- Alabama: Class BB
- Georgia: V
- Indiana: ISSMA SENIOR BAND GROUP I
- North Carolina: VI
- South Carolina: V
- Tennessee: V
- Virginia: V
- Wisconsin: Event 3000 Concert Band Class A
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Colgan High School (Manassas, Va.) Wind Symphony (Don Magee, conductor) - 4 May 2023
- Piedmont Wind Symphony (Winston-Salem, N.C.) (Mark A. Norman, conductor) - 7 May 2022
- Bethel University (Saint Paul, Minn.) Wind Symphony (Steven Thompson, conductor) – October 2020
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)
- 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. (1993). Variants on a Moravian Hymn: Morning Star, O Cheering Sight [score]. Southern Music Co.: San Antonio, Tx.