Yorkshire Ballad

From Wind Repertory Project
James Barnes

James Barnes


General Info

Year: 1985
Duration: c. 3:40
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Southern Music Company
Cost: Score and Parts - $60.00  |   Score Only - $8.75


Instrumentation

Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II (II optional)
Oboe I-II (II optional)
Bassoon I-II (II optional)
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
B-flat Flugelhorn I-II
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass (optional)
Percussion I-II-III, including:

  • Bells
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Timpani
  • Triangles


Errata

See Kish book in Resources below for errata.


Program Notes

Composed in the summer of 1984, James Barnes’ Yorkshire Ballad was premiered at the Kansas Bandmasters Association Convention in Hutchinson, Kansas, by the late Claude T Smith, who was serving as the guest conductor for the Kansan Intercollegiate Band. Since being published in 1985, it has become one of the composer’s most popular works. It has been arranged for full orchestra and string orchestra by the composer, for marimba and piano by Linda Maxey, for flute choir by Arthur Ephross, and for trombone or tuba/euphonium ensemble by John Bohls.

The composer writes that:

“over the years, many conductors and teachers have called me to ask about the work, and whether the tune itself is in fact a folksong. Yorkshire Ballad is not a folksong, but it is written in that style. I composed this little piece so that younger player would have an opportunity to play a piece that is more or less in the style of Percy Aldridge Grainger’s Irish Tune from County Derry. Even Grainger’s easier works are too difficult for most younger players to do them musical justice, so I thought I would write a little piece that might emote some of the feelings and colors of Grainger’s wonderful music, but, at the same time, was technically much more accessible to the younger player.” “People always ask me what I was trying to portray when I wrote Yorkshire Ballad. All I can say is that I was thinking of the beautiful, green Yorkshire dales of Northern England; the rolling hills and endless stretch of beautiful pasturelands that my wife and loved so much when, a year before, we had driven through this most marvelous spot in the world.“

- Program Note by composer


Media


State Ratings

  • California: C
  • Minnesota: III
  • Texas: II. Complete


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Oberlin (Ohio) High School Concert Band (Ryan Jaeckin, conductor) - 10 May 2023
  • Northshore Concert Band (Evanston, Ill.) (Mallory Thompson, conductor) – 19 February 2023
  • Tri-State Wind Symphony (Dubuque, Iowa) (Nolan Hauta, conductor) 14 July 2022
  • University of Iowa (Iowa City) University Band (Myron Peterson, conductor) - 2 May 2022
  • Bemidji (Minn.) State University Symphonic Band (Ryan Webber, conductor) - 20 April 2021
  • Pittsburg (Kan.) State University Wind Ensemble (Andrew D. Chybowski, conductor) - 19 November 2020
  • University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg) Concert Band A (Travis Higa, conductor) - 16 November 2020
  • Lampman (Sask., Can.) High School Senior Band (Jeff Lunde conductor) – 7 March 2020
  • University of Iowa (Iowa City) Honor Band (Mark Heidel, conductor) – 1 March 2020
  • California State University Bakersfield Concert Band (Leo Sakamoto, conductor) – 2 December 2019
  • University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) Maroon Campus Band (Lance Sample, conductor) – 28 October 2019
  • Pima Community College (Tucson, Ariz.) Wind Ensemble (Mark Nelson, conductor) – 17 October 2019
  • Michigan State University (East Lansing) Campus Band (Arris Golden, conductor) – 8 October 2019
  • Golden Valley High School (Santa Clarita, Calif.) Symphonic Band (Johnathan Grant, conductor) -15 March 2019 (2019 Sutherland Wind Festival (Fresno, Calif.)
  • University of Missouri, Kansas City, Wind Ensemble (Joseph Parisi, conductor) – 13 March 2019
  • Western Illinois University (Macomb) Showcase of Bands Honor Band (Gary Smith, conductor) – 23 February 2019
  • Kings County (N.Y.) Community Band (Jasmine Britt, conductor) – 15 December 2018
  • Kansas State University (Manhattan) Concert Band (conductor uncertain) - 18 October 2018
  • University of British Columbia (Vancouver) Concert Winds (Christin Reardon MacLellan, conductor) – 12 October 2018
  • Miamisburg (Ohio) High School Symphonic Band (Steve Aylward, conductor) - 15 May 2018
  • Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (Waukegan, MI), Concert Orchestra (James Gross, conductor) - 31 June 2023

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

  • Kish, David. (2014). Guides to Band Masterworks. Volume IV. Delray Beach, Fla.: Meredith Music Publications, 2014. pp. 11–47.
  • Miles, Richard B., and Larry Blocher. (2010). Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 1. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 402-408.