Yorkshire Ballad - SMC559 | Musica

- NO LONGER AVAILABLE -

Composed in the summer of 1984, James Barnes' „Yorkshire Ballad" was premiered at the Kansas Bandmasters Association Convention in Huntchinson, Kansas, by the late Claude T. Smith, who was serving as the guest conductor for the Kansas Intercollegiate Band. Since being published in 1985, it has become one of the composer's most popular works. It has been arranged for full orchestra and string orchestra by the composer, for marimba and piano by Linda Maxey, for flute choir by Arthur Ephross and for trombone or tuba/euphonium ensemble by John Bohls.
The composer writes that „over the years, many conductors and teachers have called me to ask about that work, and whether the tune itself is in fact a folksong. „Yorkshire Ballad" is not a folksong, but it is written in that style. I composed this little piece so that younger players would have the opportunity to play a piece that is more or less in the style of Percy Grainger's „Irish Tune from County Derry". Even Grainger's easier works are too difficult for most youngsters to do them musical justice, so I thought I would write a little piece that might emote some of the feelings and colors of Grainger's wonderful music, but, at the same time, was technically much more accessible to the young player.
People always ask me what I was trying to portray when I wrote „Yorkshire Ballad". All I can say is that I was thinking of the beautiful, green Yorkshire Dales of northern England; the rolling hills and the endless stretch of beautiful pasturelands that my wife and I loved so much when, a year before, we had driven through this most marvelous spot in the world."

EXTRA AVAILABLE:
Yorkshire Ballad "European-Parts" - Set = 19,- Euro = NO LONGER AVAILABLE !!!