CART STATUS

CHILDREN'S FOLKSONG SUITE

Kevin M. Walczyk

concert band   |   grade 3+   |   8' 35" duration   |   view score

A recent addition to the Texas UIL Prescribed Music List, Children's Folksong Suite for concert band is based on five Hungarian folk melodies with a simple, child-like character that have been culled from sources published between 1813 and 1896. The five melodies are also found in a collection of Hungarian and Slovakian folk songs in Bela Bartok's piano collection entitled For Children. As with Bartok's Mikrokosmos and his Forty-four Violin Duets, For Children is an expression of Bartok's interest in composing accessible works for young musicians that introduces them to contemporary harmonic resources rarely encountered at the beginning level. Similarly, the five folk melodies set in Children's Folksong Suite have been completely re-harmonized and, in some instances, expanded. Although not bound by common-practice theoretical expectations, Children's Folksong Suite preserves each piece's unique, child-like character. Children's Folksong Suite is dedicated to the members of the Leslie Middle School band (Salem, Oregon) and their conductor Dr. Danh Pham, who commissioned the work.

Selected as a finalist for the 2007 CBDNA Young Band Composition Contest, Children's Folksong Suite received its official premiere January 25, 2008 at the Oregon Music Educators Association conference in Eugene, Oregon by the commissioning party - the Leslie Middle School band, under the direction of Dr. Danh Pham. The work has received multiple performances throughout the United States and has been featured repertoire for numerous honor bands, conventions and symposia.

The work has received multiple performances throughout the United States and has been featured repertoire at many honor bands, conventions and symposia, including the 2009 Kansas - John Philip Sousa Honor Band, 52nd Annual Augustana College Band Festival, University of Oklahoma's 2009 Conducting and Teaching Workshop for Band Directors, Indiana University's 63rd Annual Music Clinic, University of Missouri, Kansas City Conservatory's 2009 Midwest Honor Band Festival & Symposium, University of Oklahoma's 2009 Summer Honor Band, Association of Texas Small School Bands 2009 TMEA Honor Band, 2009 West Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association All-West Symphonic Band repertoire, Oregon Music Educator's Association 2009 All State Symphonic Band, Colorado Music Educators Association 2009 State Conference, and 2009 Western International Band Clinic Honor Band.

Recording...

Keveli Music gratefully acknowledges Mr. Robert Ponto and the University of Oregon Wind Ensemble for recording Children's Folksong Suite. Please note that, since the work was recorded, 2 additional measures have been appended to the end of movement 5. The score accurately reflects this change. Total running time for all 5 movements is approximately 8 minutes and 35 seconds.

Instrumentation...

Concert Band

• piccolo
• flutes 1-2
• oboe
• Bb clarinets 1-3
• bass clarinet
• alto saxophones 1-2
• tenor saxophone
• baritone saxophone
• F horns 1-2
• Bb trumpets 1-3
• trombones 1-2
• euphonium (treble clef & bass clef)
• tuba
• timpani (2 drums)
• percussion 1-3 (required)
• percussion 4-6 (mallets - optional)
• string bass