Ingolf Dahl: Concerto for Alto Saxophone Context Ingolf Dah’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Orchestra was composed in 1948, after the German composer received a letter of request from virtuoso saxophonist, Sigurd Rascher. Dahl quickly settled on using a wind orchestra instead of a traditional orchestra for the accompaniment Read more…
Fred J Allen: When the Stars Began to Fall Context Subtitled My Lord, What a Mornin’, Fred J. Allen’s arrangement of this anonymous spiritual song has become a staple in most wind orchestra bad rooms. Published in 1992, When the Stars Began to Fall was summed up by the composer Read more…
Gordon Jacob: An Original Suite Context Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob was born in 1895 in South London. He was the youngest of ten siblings, and the seventh male. He was enlisted to go to war at the age of 19, and in 1917 he was taken as a prisoner of Read more…
Fergal Carroll: Winter Dances Context Commissioned by the Cultural Services Department at the Warrington Borough Council in 2002, Fergal Carroll’s Winter Dances for wind orchestra was premiered by the North Cheshire Concert Band. The work, which consists of three short movements, is now a staple in wind orchestra repertory and Read more…
Wouter Lenaerts: Elegia Context Published in 2003, Wouter Lenaets’s Elegia is a beautiful work for wind orchestra. Now a go-to piece for concerts around the world, Elegia showcases both the introverted and extroverted sounds of a wind orchestra. The Music Two similar main themes are heard throughout this work, Read more…
Percy Grainger: Lincolnshire Posy Context Percy Grainger was commissioned by the American Bandmasters Association in 1937 to write a work for a concert band. The final product was named Lincolnshire Posy, a work that is considered to be one of Grainger’s finest work. The work is comprised of six movements Read more…
Randall D. Standridge: Imaginarium Context American composer Randall D. Standrige has made a fruitful career as a composer thus far. He is perhaps most-known for his works for wind orchestras and concert bands, with his works often residing in many wind orchestra’s libraries. Imaginarium was commissioned by the Association of Read more…
James Bonney: Chaos Theory Context Composed between 2000-02, James Bonney’s Chaos Theory was commissioned by the University of Nevada Las Vegas Wind Orchestra. Scored for the unusual pairing of electric guitar and wind orchestra, Bonney writes in his programme notes: “One day, seemingly out-of-the-blue, my good friend Eric Whitacre Read more…
Martin Ellerby: Paris Sketches Context Martin Ellerby has composed a range of different genres of music including symphonies, concertos, brass band works, chamber music and much repertoire for concert/wind bands. As well as writing a vast amount of music, Ellerby has also worked with a range of different ensembles and Read more…
Alfred Reed: Second Suite for Band (Latino Mexicana) Context Alfred Reed was born in 1921 in New York. He has composed lots of music for a variety of ensembles including concert and wind bands, symphonic orchestras and choral groups. Throughout his long and prosperous lifetime, Reed traveled around the world Read more…