First Suite in Eb for Military Band - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The "First Suite in E-flat for Military Band" (Op. 28, No. 1) is considered one of the cornerstone masterworks in the concert band

Concert band

A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...

repertoire. Officially premiered in 1920 at the Royal Military School of Music, the manuscript was originally completed in 1909 by British composer Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst

Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....

. Along with the subsequent "Second Suite in F for Military Band

Second Suite in F for Military Band

The Second Suite in F for Military Band is Gustav Holst's second and last suite for concert band. Although performed less frequently than the First Suite in E-flat, it is still a staple of the band literature...

," written in 1911 and premiered in 1922, the First Suite was the catalyzing force that convinced many other prominent composers that serious music could be written specifically for the combination of winds, percussion and brass. Works such as the English Folk Song Suite

English Folk Song Suite

Written in 1923, the English Folk Song Suite is one of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams's most famous works for military band. Although it is commonly known by the title given above, it was actually published as "Folk Song Suite" - the title which is used on the score and parts...

(1923) of Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...

and the William Byrd Suite (1923) of Gordon Jacob

Gordon Jacob

Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob was an English composer. He is known for his wind instrument composition and his instructional writings.-Life:...

are leading examples.

Remarkably, the Suite in E-flat was actually Holst's first composition written for military band. Frederick Fennell

Frederick Fennell

Frederick Fennell was an internationally recognized conductor, and one of the primary figures in promoting the wind ensemble as a performing group. He was also influential as a band pedagogue, and greatly affected the field of music education in the USA and abroad...

, in Time and the Winds, observes that Holst’s scoring for the work is so well conceived and organized for the band medium, that he must have had some previous experiences with groups of this kind. Indeed, Holst was himself a formidable trombonist, having already performed several seasons with the Scottish Orchestra prior to the composition of the suite. In addition, while still in college, he performed during the summers with various seaside bands, and was admittedly unsatisfied with the music that those ensembles performed. Even though these experiences likely contributed to the composition of the suite, there is no recorded commission for the work, so the true reason for Holst's writing of the suite is still unknown.

The majority of music played by British military bands around the turn of the 20th century consisted of popular music and orchestral transcriptions. It was during this time that the British Military band tradition was at its peak, and the term "military band" was being applied to any ensemble that incorporated winds, brass and percussion.This included civilian bands organized by local police and fire brigades, and even industrial firms. Unfortunately, no serious music had yet been composed specifically for the band medium, and there was no standardized instrumentation. The lack of a set instrumentation was a major obstacle for composers, in addition to the pervasive belief that an ensemble of assorted wind instruments lacked the tonal cohesiveness to produced significant music. This is where the First Suite set itself apart.

In addition to being a serious work written for band, the suite was perfectly tailored to handle the inherent challenges of the military band due to its ingenious orchestration. As stated above, there was no standarized instrumentation from one band to the next. To address this problem, Holst scored the suite for 19 instruments, with 17 remaining parts labeled "ad-lib," meaning they were unnecessary for performance. Given that most British military bands of the day employed between 20 and 30 musicians, the 19 required parts could reasonably be expected to be covered, and the remaining parts could be added or discarded as needed without disturbing the integrity of the work.

Structure

The First Suite has three movements, each with its own character and form. It is not apparent from the score, but Holst let it be known that the three movements should follow each other without a break. The complete composition is based upon a 8-measure melody reminiscent of English folk song; however, the tune is original to Holst.

Most notably, the theme statement that initiates the first movement is developed throughout each movement. Its variations range in style from lyrical to playfully rhythmic to ornamentally embellished.

Movement 1: "Chaconne"

This movement, in 3/4 time, is based upon an 8-measure melody initiated by the low brass which repeats sixteen times throughout the piece. The rhythm of the theme with its half note-quarter note and quarter note-half note rhythm is believed to be based upon medieval English carols; the "Agincourt Song" from 1415 in particular it bears a strong resemblance.

Holst uses many colorful effects to vary the chaconne theme. These include "band hits" (synonymous with the popular term "orchestra hits") in the brass and percussion outlining the notes of the theme while the woodwinds play virtuosic sixteenth-note runs. The whole passage is marked brilliante or "brilliantly." Exactly following this is a famous low brass excerpt where they play an eighth-note line based again on the notes of the theme. This section is marked pesante or "heavily" which sharply contrasts with the material directly before.

Following this are more interesting variations using mostly combinations of solo instruments including a solo horn, duet between flute

Flute

The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...

and oboe

Oboe

The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...

, and solo alto saxophone

Alto saxophone

The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...

. This section eventually develops into a minor key.

Two of the repetitions, the tenth and eleventh, are an inversion of the theme. Here the mood changes drastically with a funeral march like feel with the dynamics exceptionally soft. The bass drum

Bass drum

Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...

and tuba

Tuba

The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...

emphasize a hemiola

Hemiola

In modern musical parlance, a hemiola is a metrical pattern in which two bars in simple triple time are articulated as if they were three bars in simple duple time...

rhythm while a solo euphonium

Euphonium

The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...

plays the inversion in a minor key. The twelfth, the theme played a third higher, is a famous trombone

Trombone

The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...

soli that hints at Holst's earlier years as a trombone player. Then a crescendo poco a poco extends over two more repetitions of the theme. At the height of the crescendo, more hemiola in the brass and saxophones is used to heighten the harmonic interest.

The climax is at the top of the crescendo with the theme being stated in almost all of the low instruments. The higher instruments play soaring counterpoint

Counterpoint

In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...

lines, all of which is marked ff. The final repetition, stated in the trombones and low trumpet

Trumpet

The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...

s/cornet

Cornet

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...

s (an unusual combination for its day) is transposed up a fifth, chromatically altered, and extended. The movement ends with the trombones and trumpets/cornets playing against the rest of the band playing on beats one and two while the rest of the band is striking sustained chords on the third of each measure. Holst, in the final chord, interestingly drops out all of the bass voices from the band leaving a very brilliant sounding chord with high concert B-flats in the flutes, piccolos, and trumpets/cornets. This powerful coda is difficult to play well, but has very high emotional impact when it is.

Movement 2: "Intermezzo"

Nearly all of this movement is devoted to a rhythmic and well-articulated oboe, clarinet and cornet soli. The exploitation of wind band tone colour combinations flavor this movement. While the movement is predominantly light in character, the clarinet has a stirring solo, which is later repeated by other voices. Then, the euphonium takes us back to the first theme. Finally the second theme is played in a major key while the upper woodwinds play their virtuosic sixteenth notes, and diminishes to the lowest possible volume.

Movement 3: "March"

The march is usually played at a march tempo, although many recordings use a faster tempo. It opens with a famous bass drum solo, one of the few in the band literature. It features two primary melodies both very contrasting in style.

The first melody is featured exclusively in the brass section in a very marcato manner. The second melody in the mid-low woodwinds, and later the euphonium, baritone saxophone, and bassoon, resembles the melodies of the first two movements and is played in a very legato and lyrical style. Following the completion of the second melody, strains of the first melody and the first four bars can be heard as the movement builds up to the finale.

The finale of the march features both melodies layered on top of one another in a musical technique called "simultaneous recapitulation": nearly all the brass playing the second melody in a majestic march style, with the woodwinds playing the first melody and variations of it. The last few bars are very powerful (marked ffff) and have one of the most famous trombone solis in the band repertoire.

1909 Autograph Manuscript

The original manuscript, completed in 1909, is housed at the British Library in London. The shelf listing is as follows:

Add. MS 47824. GUSTAV HOLST COLLECTION. Vol. XXI (ff. 37). First Suite in E flat for military band, op. 28, no. 1, consisting of Chaconne, Intermezzo and March. [1909.] Full score. Autograph. With various notes on f.1 relating to ad lib. parts, etc. Published by Boosey & Co., 1921, in Boosey's Military Journal, 142nd Series, No. 2. [I. Holst, no. 105.]

The original title of the suite was simply "Suite in Eb for Military Band" by Gustav von Holst. Holst's birth-name had actually been Gustavus Theodore von Holst (he had German, Russian, Latvian and Swedish forebears, although his great-great grandfather had emigrated to the UK in 1802). He changed his name to Gustav Holst during World War 1 (when German names were unpopular) so that he could be appointed as a volunteer YMCA Music Organizer. (The British royal family changed their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor for a similar reason.) According to the title page of the manuscript, "Suite in Eb" is scribbled over, with "First Suite in Eb" written underneath and also above and to the right of the original title.

In 1921 Boosey & Co. published the parts and a condensed piano score for the suite. It was common practice at this time to not include a full instrumental score.

1948 Boosey and Hawkes Full Score

The 1948 edition of the First Suite in E-flat was the first since the original Boosey & Co. publication of 1921. With developments in instrumentation in the United States during the two decades following the original published version, there were calls for a newer, more accessible edition. The growing popularity of public school band contests resulted in American bands incorporating a wide array of instruments such as the alto and contrabass clarinets, and the baritone and bass saxophones. With more and more bands employing these larger forces, the original version of the First Suite could be not be performed as written. In addition, the 1921 edition only had a reduced piano score, and by this time the manuscript had been lost. Albert Austin Harding, long time Director of Bands at Illinois University, suggested that the First Suite be revised to accommodate the growing number of American bands and their modern instrumentation. To facilitate this, a new full score based on the original published parts was produced by Boosey & Hawkes. Multiple errors are found in the score that are not shown in the original parts.

This new edition contained several modifications. First, the flute and piccolo, originally keyed in Db, were changed to the key of C, as this was becoming increasingly popular. Next, the Bb baritone part was discarded. In 1921, at a conference of the Directors of Music of the Navy, Army and Air Force, held at Kneller Hall, it was decided that the B-flat tenor saxophone would officially replace the B-flat baritone. H. E. Adkins states that this was due to baritone’s “lack of character and its ineffectiveness.”

In addition to the removal of the baritone, the string bass was also omitted. At this time, it isn’t known why the string bass was removed, although it may be that school bands just did not incorporate it, as is largely the case even today. It may also be that since the string bass was marked ad lib by Holst that Boosey & Hawkes did not feel the need to include it. However, this is also not known at this time. Instruments added to the score included the E-flat alto clarinet, the E-flat baritone and B-flat bass saxophones, B-flat contrabass clarinet, and a set of flügelhorns.

1984 Boosey and Hawkes Revised Edition (Ed. Colin Matthews)

Sometime after the publication of the 1921 edition, the original manuscript was lost. As a result, the only full score available of the First Suite was from 1948 edition, and many conductors struggled with the peculiarities contained therein. It was well known which instruments were additions to the original, but because the 1921 score was only a piano reduction, Holst’s original intentions remained unclear. Then, in 1974, the original manuscript was discovered. Frederick Fennell, in a reprint of his 1975 article discussing the suite, states:

“Shortly after this initial piece in our Basic Band Repertory series was published, the manuscript of the Suite in Eb for Military Band surfaced for the first time. The full score always existed and it could have answered all the questions which were raised in my initial study and in the minds of other conductors whose pursuits of definite answers in this has been an equal frustration.”

Among the questions raised were those concerning the scoring discrepancies associated with the alto clarinet and baritone saxophone. In light of these realizations, a new, revised score was subsequently prepared by English composer Colin Matthews, with the assistance of Imogen Holst and Frederick Fennell. This new edition was published in 1984 by Boosey & Hawkes.

Matthews knew that a complete return to the scoring of the manuscript would once again limit the accessibility of the work, particularly in the United States, where American bands are still to this day typically larger than their British counterparts. In the introduction to the revised score, Matthews states:

“Since the composition of military bands and wind bands in general has changed since 1909, this new edition of the score does not attempt to go back wholly to the original manuscript… The second pair of trumpets and the baritone have been omitted entirely, while the added baritone and bass saxophones have been retained (with some emendations). The additional parts for alto and contrabass clarinets and flügelhorns have been omitted... The omission of the baritone has allowed the euphonium part to be expanded, most notably in the Intermezzo after letter D, and at the beginning of the Finale, where it doubles the 1st cornet at the lower octave.”

Matthews also makes modifications to the cornets, trumpets and horns. He writes:

“Particular care has been taken to ‘cover’ ad lib parts. Since in the original manuscript all the trumpets were ad lib, the omission of the second pair has not left any serious gaps: indeed the opportunity has been taken to fill one or two that Holst himself left (in the Finale at letter C, for example). Three cornets are essential, but the parts have been adjusted, since Holst, when writing for cornets in three parts tended to write for two second cornets (at the end of the first movement and the Finale the fourth cornet is optional). In the same way he was occasionally careless about the disposition of his four horn parts, and these are now organized so that the third and fourth may safely be omitted.”

The three standard versions' instrumentations are listed below side by side for comparison.

1909 Autograph Manuscript

Woodwinds:

Flute

/Piccolo

Piccolo

The piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...

in D-flat

2 Oboe

Oboe

s (ad lib)

2 Clarinets in E-flat 2nd ad lib
Ad libitum
Ad libitum is Latin for "at one's pleasure"; it is often shortened to "ad lib" or "ad-lib"...

)

Solo Clarinet

Clarinet

The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...

in B-flat

3 Clarinets in B-flat (first ripieno)

Bass Clarinet

Bass clarinet

The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...

in B-flat (ad lib)

2 Bassoon

Bassoon

The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...

s (2nd ad lib)

Alto Saxophone

Alto saxophone

in E-flat(ad lib)

Tenor Saxophone

Tenor saxophone

The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...

in B-flat (ad lib)

Brass

Brass instrument

A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...

2 Cornet

Cornet

s in B-flat

2 Trumpet

Trumpet

s in E-flat (ad lib)

4 Horn

Horn (instrument)

The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....

s in F

4 Horn

Horn (instrument)

The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....

s in E-flat (ad lib)

Baritone Horn

Baritone horn

The baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...

in B-flat (ad lib)

3 Tenor Trombone

Trombone

The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...

s (2nd ad lib)

Bass Trombone

Euphonium

The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...

in B-flat

Bombardons (an early form of the Tuba

Tuba

)

Percussion:

Timpani

Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...

(ad lib)

Snare Drum

Snare drum

The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...

Bass Drum

Bass drum

Cymbal

Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...

Triangle

Triangle (instrument)

The triangle is an idiophone type of musical instrument in the percussion family. It is a bar of metal, usually steel but sometimes other metals like beryllium copper, bent into a triangle shape. The instrument is usually held by a loop of some form of thread or wire at the top curve...

Tambourine

The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....

Strings:

Double Bass

Double bass

The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...

(ad lib)

1948 Boosey and Co. Full Score

Woodwinds:

Flute/Piccolo in C

Flute/Piccolo in D-flat

2 Oboes

2 Clarinets in E-flat

Solo Clarinet in B-flat

3 Clarinets in B-flat

Alto Clarinet

Alto clarinet

The alto clarinet is a wind instrument of the clarinet family. It is a transposing instrument pitched in the key of E, though instruments in F have been made. It is sometimes known as a tenor clarinet; this name especially is applied to the instrument in F...

in E-flat

Bass Clarinet in B-flat

Contrabass Clarinet

Contrabass clarinet

The contrabass clarinet is the largest member of the clarinet family that has ever been in regular production or significant use. Modern contrabass clarinets are pitched in BB, sounding two octaves lower than the common B soprano clarinet and one octave lower than the B bass clarinet...

in B-flat

2 Bassoons

Alto Saxophone in E-flat

Tenor Saxophone in B-flat

Baritone Saxophone

Baritone saxophone

The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...

in E-flat

Bass Saxophone

Bass saxophone

The bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...

in B-flat

Brass:

2 Cornets in B-flat (1st called "Solo")

2 Trumpets in B-flat

2 Flugelhorn

Flugelhorn

The flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...

4 Horns in E-flat (though the parts are in F)

2 Tenor Trombones

Bass Trombone

Baritone in B-flat (Euphonium part in Treble Clef)

Euphonium

"Basses" (Tuba and Double Basses)

Percussion:

Timpani

Snare Drum

Bass Drum

Cymbals

Triangle

Tambourine

1984 Boosey and Hawkes Revised Edition (Ed. Colin Matthews)

Woodwinds:

Piccolo in C

Flute in C

2 Oboes (2nd ad lib)

2 Clarinets in E-flat (2nd ad lib)

Solo Clarinet in B-flat

3 Clarinets in B-flat

Bass Clarinet in B-flat (ad lib)

2 Bassoons (2nd ad lib)

Alto Saxophone in E-flat

Tenor Saxophone in B-flat

Baritone Saxophone in E-flat (ad lib)

Bass Saxophone in B-flat (ad lib)

Brass:

Solo Cornet in B-flat

2 Cornets in B-flat

2 Trumpets in B-flat (ad lib)

4 Horns in F (3rd and 4th ad lib)

3 Trombones (3rd ad lib)

Euphonium in B-flat

Tuba

Percussion:

Timpani (ad lib)

Snare Drum

Bass Drum

Cymbals

Suspended Cymbal

Triangle

Tambourine

Strings:

Double Bass (ad lib)

Not In Score but Included set for convenience:

Eb Alto Clarinet

Bb Contra Bass Clarinet

Bb Flugelhorns 1&2

Other band works by Gustav Holst

Hammersmith
A Moorside Suite (for brass band
Brass band (British style)
A British-style brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardised range of brass and percussion instruments. The modern form of the brass band in the United Kingdom dates back to the 19th century, with a vibrant tradition of competition based around local industry and communities...

)
Three Folk Tunes
The Praise of King Olaf (for choir and military band)
Marching Song (transcription from Two Songs Without Words)
Bach's
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...

Fugue à la Gigue transcribed for military band (It was actually scored as a test piece for Hammersmith.)
Second Suite in F

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