Composed by
John Ireland. Band Music.
Score and parts. Duration
10:00. Published by G & M
Brand Music Publishers
(CN.R10011).
Cast your self
into a storm at sea with
this fantastic piece from
John Ireland. Turbulent
rhythmic motives launch
the work to blend into a
more lyrical melody
contrasting the opening.
Don't be fooled though;
the first rhythmic motive
provides the underlay, a
reminder that the calm
surface of the sea is
only masking the swirling
water
underneath!
A
Maritime Overture was
written in 1944 and
published in 1946. This
edition was published in
1988. The score was
prepared from the
composer's full draft by
Norman Richardson, and
uses the same material as
Tritons - a Symphonic
Prelude for orchestra
dating from the early
1900s. The development of
the material however is
different in each piece.
The work is conceived in
F major - but it is 24
bars before Ireland
establishes this
tonality. Fortissimo
chords of B-flat major
open the work, and the
Overture hovers between G
minor and B-flat as a
restless rhythmic motif
is introduced. As soon as
F major is finally
established it is
contradicted as the music
fragments, but the key is
allowed a further 4 bars
to consolidate before
more lyrical interplay
leads to a second idea,
introduced by flutes and
oboes in C major. Marked
'espressivo e ben
cantando' this is a
complete contrast to the
opening, although the
first rhythmic motif
provides the underlay - a
reminder after the
opening storms that the
calm surface of the sea
is only masking the
swirling water
underneath. A Maritime
Overture has a freer
approach to form than say
the first movement of a
symphony might allow,
enabling Ireland to
introduce a totally new
central section marked
'poco meno mosso' in F
minor. A bold cornet (not
trumpet) heralds this new
idea, in a passage marked
'with freedom' and
perhaps for the only time
there is a true
tranquility in the
sextuplet accompaniment.
Thus the restlessness is
suspended, but not for
long, as the opening
storm returns and a
recapitulation allows the
F major theme and the
second theme - this time
in the sub-dominant
(B-flat) - to reassert
themselves.
Composed by John Ireland.
Band Music. Score and
parts. Duration 10:30.
Published by G & M Brand
Music Publishers
(CN.R10004).
A
slow introduction gives
way to the chirpy theme
which is developed,
inverted, and accents
displaced across the bar
line to give a 3/2 feel
against the written
meter. Restlessness leads
to a tranquillo presented
by the flute and
clarinet, weaving a
flowing counterpoint
around the melody until
the original slow
introduction returns. A
triumphant recapitulation
of the main theme brings
this wonderful piece to
an end.
Originally
composed for Brass Band
in 1934 Comedy Overture
is, despite its name, a
serious piece of writing.
The term Overture does
not imply that there is
anything else to follow;
it is used in the 19th
century sense of Concert
Overture (like
Mendelssohn's Fingal's
Cave - in other words, a
miniature Tone Poem). The
1930's was a period of
Ireland's mature writing
- yielding the Piano
Concerto (1930), the
Legend for piano and
orchestra (1933), and the
choral work These Things
Shall Be (1936-1937). We
are fortunate therefore
to have both Comedy
Overture and A Downland
Suite (1932) written for
band medium at this time.
As with Maritime Overture
(written in 1944 for
military band) Ireland
approaches his material
symphonically. The
opening three notes state
immediately the two
seminal intervals of a
semitone and a third.
These are brooding and
dark in Bb minor. It is
these intervals which
make up much of the
thematic content of
Comedy, sometimes
appearing in inverted
form, and sometimes in
major forms as well. The
concept that some musical
intervals are consonant ,
some dissonant, and some
perfect is perhaps useful
in understanding the
nature of the tension and
resolution of this work.
The third is inherently
unstable, and by bar 4,
the interval is expanded
to a fourth - with an
ascending sem-quaver
triplet - and then
expanded to a fifth. The
instability of the third
pushes it towards a
perfect resolution in the
fourth or the fifth. The
slow introduction is
built entirely around
these intervals in Bb
minor and leads through
an oboe cadenza, to an
Allegro moderato
brillante in Bb major.
Once again, the semi-tone
(inverted) and a third
(major) comprise the
main, chirpy,
theme-inspired by a
London bus-conductor's
cry of Piccadilly. (Much
of the material in Comedy
was re-conceived by
Ireland for orchestra and
published two years later
under the title A London
Overture.) The expansion
of the interval of a
third through a fourth,
fifth, sixth, and seventh
now takes place quickly
before our very ears at
the outset of this
quicker section.
Immediately the theme is
developed, inverted, and
accents displaced across
the bar line to give a
3/2 feel against the
written meter. But this
restlessness leads to a
tranquillo built around
an arpeggio figure and
presented by flute and
clarinet. Ireland weaves
his flowing counterpoint
around this melody until
the original slow
introduction returns
leading to a stretto
effect as the rising bass
motifs become more
urgent, requesting a
resolution of the tension
of that original semitone
and minor third. Yet
resolution is withheld at
this point as the music
becomes almost becalmed
in a further, unrelated
tranquillo section marked
pianissimo. It is almost
as if another side of
Ireland's nature is
briefly allowed to shine
through the stern
counterpoint and
disciplined structure.
This leads to virtually a
full recapitulation of
the chirpy brilliante,
with small additional
touches of counterpoint,
followed by the first
tranquillo section-this
time in the tonic of Bb
major. But the
instability of the third
re-asserts itself, this
time demanding a
resolution. And a
triumphant resolution it
receives, for it finally
becomes fully fledged and
reiterates the octave in
a closing vivace. The
opening tension has at
last resolved itself into
the most perfect interval
of all.
Composed by
John Ireland. Band Music.
Pioneer Band Series.
Score only. Duration
10:00. Published by G & M
Brand Music Publishers
(CN.S11011).
Cast your self
into a storm at sea with
this fantastic piece from
John Ireland. Turbulent
rhythmic motives launch
the work to blend into a
more lyrical melody
contrasting the opening.
Don't be fooled though;
the first rhythmic motive
provides the underlay, a
reminder that the calm
surface of the sea is
only masking the swirling
water underneath!
A Downland Suite Orchestre d'harmonie [Conducteur et Parties séparées] Molenaar Edition
By John Ireland (1879-1962). Arranged by C. M. Mellema. For Concert Band. Origin...(+)
By John Ireland
(1879-1962). Arranged by
C. M. Mellema. For
Concert Band. Original
Pieces. Original Pieces.
Grade 6. Score and Parts.
Published by Molenaar
Edition
Concert Band - Grade 3 SKU: HL.44007430 Grade 3 - Score and Parts....(+)
Concert Band - Grade 3
SKU: HL.44007430
Grade 3 - Score and
Parts. Composed by
Timothy Johnson. Curnow
Music Concert Band. Folk,
Irish. Full Score and
Parts. Published by
Curnow Music
(HL.44007430).
UPC:
884088251987. 9x12
inches.
The Irish
folk tune Slane
(the melody used in the
hymn Be Thou My
Vision) forms the
foundation for this
melodically expansive and
inspired work for concert
band. A flowing
exploration of the melody
in variation inspires the
listener with its bold
and thrilling
progression. The piece
remains within reach of a
solid grade 3 band but
gives the impression of a
higher level of
composition. A rich
variety of style and
orchestration make this a
good choice for festival
use as well as concert
performance, as well as a
great opportunity to
study the rich cultural
heritage of Ireland.
You'll be glad you
programmed Variants on
an Irish Folk Tune by
Timothy Johnson.