Your favourite works for band?
- Thread starter Merlin
- Start date
I particularly like the Arnold! The drunken bassoon bit is a blast to play.
Holst 1st and Second Suites and the band version of The Planets, but that seems to be out of print except for Jupiter and Mars. Gould's Pavane is a good one, just played that last week with the Southern Md. Concert Band. If you want to get really tough, Mendelssohn's Overture fur Harmoniemusik is hard to beat. The first clarinets had better be on their game!
I'm a fan of most of Frank Ticheli's stuff.
I remember in college WAY back in the late '70's our wind ensemble played a transcription of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor that took hours of ensemble and sectional work to get through but when we had it, it was indeed a great accomplishment AND a lot of fun.
The other memory was when I was 1st chair alto, we played a transcription of the Poets and Peasants overture by somebody. It had a beautiful solo for me to play.
The other memory was when I was 1st chair alto, we played a transcription of the Poets and Peasants overture by somebody. It had a beautiful solo for me to play.
I luv that solo. We played it last year to great reviews.
von Suppe, if I recall it correctly...
I loved playing all of those classical transcriptions, but they seem to have fallen out of vogue with high school music programs these days, to be replaced by graded contest pieces. Perhaps the community band scene is where all the old music ended up.
I loved playing all of those classical transcriptions, but they seem to have fallen out of vogue with high school music programs these days, to be replaced by graded contest pieces. Perhaps the community band scene is where all the old music ended up.
Yep. Yellowed and tattered, but great stuff to play. The audiences seem to prefer "Light Calvary Overture" to "Languid Impressions of an Obscure Midwestern River with a Name No One Recognizes".
I have performed that solo many times with the University Alumni Band I play with. I used to enjoy playing it until a baritone player friend of mine pointed out that it sounds just like the beginning of "I've Been Working on the Railroad". Now whenever I play it I have to try hard not to laugh.
There I have ruined it for the rest of you too. Neener, neener.
John
Out of all of the pieces I've ever played these three have been my favorite, I hope they all count:
God of Our Fathers
Sun Dance
Malaguena
The last two I'm playing in my community college band right now. I also played Sun Dance in high school, but it was on trumpet so it doesn't count. lol.
God of Our Fathers we played in fall of 2007. Very awesome piece. I loved the little bassoon/piccolo solo feature, even though I wasn't the solo bassoonist part. I also loved... well the whole piece was fun to play.
God of Our Fathers
Sun Dance
Malaguena
The last two I'm playing in my community college band right now. I also played Sun Dance in high school, but it was on trumpet so it doesn't count. lol.
God of Our Fathers we played in fall of 2007. Very awesome piece. I loved the little bassoon/piccolo solo feature, even though I wasn't the solo bassoonist part. I also loved... well the whole piece was fun to play.
A++ for all of these. We will play the Bennett piece at next month's concert.
I also like R. Vaughn Williams' "Folk Song Suite" (the first movement of which was included in the Marine Band's inauguration music). Two other favorites (although they are transcriptions of orchestral music) are Wagner's "Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral" from "Lohengrin" and "Nimrod" from Elgar's "Enigma Variations." Another piece I've enjoyed playing (has a nice sax solo) is "Ross Roy". I've forgotten the particulars, but it was fun to play and a crowd pleaser as well.
There's a series I like by an arranger whose name escapes me They are all entitled "On a Hymnsong of -----" We did one with "Philip Bliss" in the blank space which consisted of variations on his hymn "It is well with my soul", found in some Protestant hymnals. It's a lovely hymn, and the arrangement, if well played can bring tears!, (And the sax part is lovely---nice interplay between first and second) It could also bring tears if badly played!!
And I never tire of Ticheli's "America the Beautiful" even though I play it a couple of times each year..
Like Hak, I also enjoy playing the old war horse marches. An aside---at a recent rehearsal the director called for Sousa"s "Solid Men to the Front", whereupon a tuba player promptly arose and walked forward. Took a minute or two for us to catch on, but we all got a laugh. I suspect he's been waiting a long time to do that!
Regards, Ruth
Brain cramp!! Of course, I meant C. Dragon's "America the Beautiful". It's Ticheli's "Shenandoah" that I like as well.
Last edited:
+1 on American Dances.
All time favorite is probably the Copland Appalachian Spring suite.
All time favorite is probably the Copland Appalachian Spring suite.