Ode To The Star Spangled Banner for Band by Ferde Grofe Transcribed for Band by Jari Villanueva

Full Score

Piccolo
2 Flutes
2 Oboes
2 Bassoons
3 Clarinets in Bb
Alto Clarinet
Bass Clarinet
2 Alto Saxophones
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
3 Trumpets in Bb
4 Horns in F
2 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Euphonium (Baritone TC)
Tuba
Double Bass
Percussion
Timpani

Score and parts downloaded upon payment

Ferde Grofé, born Ferdinand Rudolph von Grofé, was a pianist, arranger, orchestrator, and composer. Born 27 March 1892, he lived until 3 April 1972 and over his lifetime produced many works for orchestra, and band including arrangements done for the Paul Whiteman orchestra of the 1920s. He is best known as the orchestrator of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" for which he scored versions for the original Paul Whiteman Orchestra, full symphonic orchestra and concert band. He is known also for his works such as "The Mississippi Suite", "Kentucky Suite", and "Aviation Suite" but remains mostly famous for his "Grand Canyon Suite."

What is even lesser well-known and forgotten is Grofé's musical setting of the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer who witnessed it, to write the poem that became "The Star Spangled Banner." Grofé wrote what now is known as "Ode to the Star-Spangled Banner" for impresario A. F. Rothafel, better known as "Roxy," the man behind the creation of Radio City Music Hall. The piece was to be part of the elaborate, celebrity-studded opening of the hall in December 1932. It lay dormant and unknown until rediscovered by a writer for Johns Hopkins Medicine who did research to bring the work to light. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performed the restored Grofé's Ode in 2014 on the 200^th anniversary of the poem.

You can read about the restoration at www.tapsbugler.com/ode-to-the-star-spangled-banner...