- Urban Bush Women is a Brooklyn-based dance company that “seeks to bring the untold and under-told histories and stories of disenfranchised people to light through dance. We do this from a woman-centered perspective and as members of the African Diaspora community in order to create a more equitable balance of power in the dance world and beyond.”.
- Philip Sparke: Dance Movements, for band - Play streams in full or download MP3 from Classical Archives (classicalarchives.com), the largest and best organized classical music site on the web.
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Provided to YouTube by NAXOS of AmericaDance Movements: I. Ritmico United States Air Force BandBest of the United States Air Force Band℗ 2013 AltissimoRele.
General Info
Year: 1996
Duration: 20:25
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher:Studio Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $295.00 | Score Only - $60.00
Movements (played without pause)
1. Ritmico – 3:20
2. Molto Vivo (for the Woodwinds) – 5:10
3. Lento (for the Brass) – 4:35
4. Molto Ritmico – 7:10
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Cello
String Bass
Harp
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:
- Bass Drum
- Bongos
- Cabasa
- Crash Cymbals
- Glockenspiel
- Sleigh Bells
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tam-tam
- Tambourine
- Temple Blocks
- Tom-Toms (3: small, medium and large)
- Triangle
- Tubular Bells
- Vibraphone
- Whip
- Wood Block
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Dance Movements was commissioned by the United States Air Force Band and first performed by them at the Florida Music Educators’ Association Convention in January 1996. It is cast in four movements which are played without a break; the second and third feature woodwinds and brass, respectively.
In many respects, the circumstances of the commission itself were the musical inspiration for the piece: I had been asked to write for a very large band, which included piano and harp. It was the first time I had used these instruments in a concert band score and (as in Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements) their presence coloured the score and, indeed, the type of music I wrote.
The four movements are all dance-inspired, although no specific dance rhythms are used. The first has a Latin American feel and uses xylophone, cabasa, tambourine and wood block to give local colour. The second woodwind movement uses a tune that had been plaguing me for some time and is, I suppose, in the style of an English country dance. The brass movement was composed without a specific dance analogy, but I think it can been seen as a love duet in classical ballet. The fourth and longest movement has, I hope, cured me of a ten-year fascination, almost obsession, with the music of Leonard Bernstein, and I will readily admit that it owes its existence to the fantastic dance music in West Side Story.
I. Ritmico. The opening theme on horns and saxophones is played amidst stabbing chords from the top and bottom of the band. A gentler theme follows on piccolo and clarinet, followed by the flute, oboe, trumpet, harp and glockenspiel. The main motif of the movement then arrives, which includes a dotted rhythm, which is to recur at all significant moments. A climax is reached and an angular figure follows on oboes, saxophones and clarinets. Previous material then reappears to bring the movement to a close.
II. Molto Vivo (for the Woodwinds). The second movement starts with a rustic dance tune, which is continually interrupted. It passes through various keys and stages of development until a bubbling ostinato arrives on piano, harp, glockenspiel and cello. Over this, the oboe lays a languid tune, which is then taken up by soprano and alto saxophones. Clarinets and lower winds introduce a new idea; it is built on 9th and 11th chords, highly syncopated and interspersed by snatches of the ostinato. Eventually the oboe theme reappears, accompanied by the lower wind chords. The dance tune then establishes itself once more and reaches a climax before winding down to a close.
III. Lento (for the Brass). The third movement opens with whispering muted trumpets, harp and vibraphone. Declamatory statements from horn and trombone answer each other and a slow and majestic chorale gets underway. Trumpets join to reach a climax where the original trombone statement reappears, bringing back the opening trumpets figures.
IV. Molto ritmico. The final movement bursts into life with a passage featuring the percussion section. The whole band then joins in until a driving bass ostinato establishes itself. Melodic snatches are thrown around the band until a gradual crescendo leads to a unison passage for the entire band. A robust theme appears on horns and saxophones but eventually the earlier sinister music returns. After a short pause a plaintive tune on the woodwinds leads to a more rhythmic one on the brass, but it is not long before the percussion remind us of the opening of the movement, and the ostinato reappears. The robust horn tune is this time played by the full band but the moment of triumph is short and a running passage appears that starts in the bottom of the band but works its way to the upper woodwinds. Eventually the brass plays a noble fanfare that dispels the darker mood and ends the movement in a blaze of colour.
- Program Note by Philip Sparke
Awards
- Sudler Composition Prize (1997)
Commercial Discography
Dance Movements Philip Sparke Score
- Audio MP3:United States Air Force Band (Lowell Graham, conductor) – 2013
- Audio CD:North Texas Wind Symphony (Eugene Corporon, conductor) – 2000
Media Links
- Audio:Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
State Ratings
- Indiana: Group I (Movement IV)
- Iowa: VI
- Virginia: VI (complete performance counts as two works)
- Texas:
- Grade IV: Perform at least one movement
- Grade V: Perform at least Movement 4
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- University of Oklahoma (Norman) Symphony Band (Michael Hancock, conductor) - 3 May 2021
- Shenandoah Conservatory (Winchester, Va.) Wind Ensemble (Timothy Roblee, conductor) - 14 April 2021
- Central Washington University (Ellensburg) Wind Ensemble (Paul Bain, conductor) - 11 March 2021
- West Chester (Penn.) University Wind Ensemble (Andrew Yozviak, conductor) – 1 November 2020
- Oregon State University (Corvallis) Wind Ensemble Woodwinds and Percussion (Erik Kar Jun, conductor) – 24 October 2020
- University of Kansas (Manhattan) Wind Ensemble (John Leonard, conductor) – 6 October 2020
- Western Illinois University (Macomb) Wind Ensemble (Mike Fansler, conductor) – 26 September 2020
- University of South Alabama (Mobile) Wind Ensemble (William Petersen, conductor) – 27 February 2020
- University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) Wind Ensemble (Travis J. Cross, conductor) – 6 December 2019
- Duke University (Durham, N.C.) Wind Symphony (Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant, conductor) – 14 November 2019
- University of Georgia (Athens) Hodgson Wind Symphony (Jaclyn Hartenberger, conductor) – 15 April 2019
- University of North Texas (Denton) Symphonic Band (Dennis Fisher, conductor) – 21 March 2019
- University of Cincinnati (Ohio) College-Conservatory of Music Wind Ensemble (Thomas Gamboa, conductor) – 5 March 2019
- Dartmouth College (Hanover, N.H.) Wind Ensemble (Matthew Marsit, conductor) – 20 October 2018
- Elmhurst (Ill.) College Wind Ensemble (John Heath, conductor) – 14 October 2018
- James Madison University (Harrisonburg, Va.) Wind Symphony (Stephen Bolstad, conductor) – 3 October 2018
- Ohio University (Athens) Wind Symphony (Andrew Traschel, conductor) – 26 April 2018
- Concordia College (Moorhead, Minn.) Band (Peter Haberman, conductor) – 4 February 2018
- University of Missouri, Kansas City, Wind Ensemble (Joseph Parisi, conductor) – 6 December 2017
Works for Winds by this Composer
- Atlantic Odyssey (2010)
- Ballad for Benny (2001)
- Barn Dance and Cowboy Hymn (1982)
- Between the Two Rivers (2003)
- A Bluegrass Overture (2017)
- Bolero (as arranger) (1928/2011)
- Celebration (1993)
- The Centurion (1988/2000)
- Colorado Springs (2007)
- A Colour Symphony (2015)
- Concert Prelude (1976/2000)
- Concertino Classico (2010)
- Dance Movements (1995)
- Deserts (2008)
- Diamond Concerto (2012)
- Earth, Water, Sun, Wind (2000)
- Exultation (2010)
- Fanfare for Saint Cecilia (2008)
- Fiesta! (1998)
- Flying the Breeze (2002/2004)
- Four Norfolk Dances (2001)
- The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (as arranger) (1910/2007)
- Hail the Dragon! (2010)
- Harlequin (2004)
- Hanover Festival (2000)
- A Huntingdon Celebration (2003)
- Jubilee Overture (1983)
- A Klezmer Karnival (2004)
- The Land of the Long White Cloud (1980/1988)
- A Lindisfarne Rhapsody (1998)
- Madrigalum (2006)
- Marchissimo (2004)
- Mary's Boy Child (as arranger)
- Merry-Go-Round (2002)
- Morning Song (2002)
- Music for a Festival (1985)
- Music of the Spheres (2004)
- Once in Royal David’s City (as arranger)
- Orient Express (1987)
- Overture for Woodwinds (2000)
- Panis Angelicus (as arranger) (1872/2001)
- Pantomime (1988/1996)
- Pastime with Good Company (as arranger) (15--?/2005)
- Postcard from Singapore (2004)
- The Pioneers (2005)
- Reflections on an Old Japanese Folk Song (2015)
- The Roaring Forties (2008)
- Sailing with the Tall Ships (2012)
- Salute to a Hero (2009)
- The Seasons (2005)
- Shalom! (2001)
- Sierra Nevada (2006)
- Sinfonietta No. 3 (2001)
- Sleepers, Awake! (as transcriber)
- Song and Dance (1984)
- Spirit of the Sequoia (2004)
- Strathcarron (2002)
- The Sun Will Rise Again (2011)
- Sunrise at Angel's Gate (2001)
- Symphonic Metamorphosis (2007)
- Symphony No. 1. See: Earth, Water, Sun, Wind
- Symphony No. 3. See: A Colour Symphony
- Tales of the River Wye (2007)
- Tallis' Canon (arr. Sparke) (/2012)
- Te Deum Prelude (as arranger)
- Ten Chorale Preludes (as arranger) (1914/2002)
- Three English Folk Song Miniatures (2013)
- Three Klezmer Miniatures (2009)
- Three Washington Statues (2015)
- To a New Dawn (2000)
- To a Wild Rose (as arranger)
- Trombone Concerto (2007)
- Valerius Variations (2005)
- A Weekend in New York (2008)
- The White Rose (2002)
- A Winter's Tale (2010)
- Year of the Dragon (1984/1985)
- Year of the Dragon (2017 edition) (1984/1985/2017)
- A Yorkshire Overture (1991)