Philip Sparke Euphonium pieces

[Yung Shammgod]

How come it seems like most of Philip Sparke's pieces have very present Euphonium parts/melodies? Is he a Euphonium player himself? I absolutely love playing his pieces, I had the opportunity to play Orient Express some time ago.

[davewerden]

Sparke comes from the British tradition. In their writing the euphonium is still a very important voice. In American music by contemporary composers, the euphonium is often not well-understood. If a college composition major takes an orchestration course, euphonium is mostly/totally ignored.

[John Morgan]

Sparke comes from the British tradition. In their writing the euphonium is still a very important voice. In American music by contemporary composers, the euphonium is often not well-understood. If a college composition major takes an orchestration course, euphonium is mostly/totally ignored.

Well, all I have to say about composition majors ignoring euphonium is the same thing Gayle McCormick sang about way back in 1971. "It's a Crying Shame"!

[JasonDonnelly]

He also just might love euphonium more than any other composer alive today. 3 euphonium concertos plus at least a dozen other solos for it.

[JTJ]

In American music by contemporary composers, the euphonium is often not well-understood. If a college composition major takes an orchestration course, euphonium is mostly/totally ignored.

True in contemporary wind band writing, where the euphonium is too often seen as merely a "tenor tuba." Gracious! I so dislike that label. We got better parts from American composers when the euphonium was called a baritone; now we're too often consigned to doubling the bass tubas on the octave.

[MichaelSchott]

Sparke is a master at writing melodies and understands the role of the euphonium in those melodies. In the early 90's I heard Steve Mead play Pantomime and was hooked on Sparke's music.

I suggest listening to two brass band pieces with great euph parts. 1) Mountain Song and 2) Jubilee Overture. As far as solo music, beyond Pantomime, Song for Ina and Party Piece are terrific among others. Song for Ina has been played to death but is still one of the great slow melody pieces for euph written in the last 20 years.

[cochranme]

Slightly off topic: In 1998 I was the soloist on a wind ensemble tour of the British Isles. The last concert was in a tiny medieval church about 40 miles outside of London. Solo went off well, afterwards I Snedecor ck across the narrow street to the local pub with one of the tour guides for a beer. 10 minutes later who walks in but Philip Sparke. Turns out he was in the front tow. I’m glad I didn’t know at the time or I might have bombed!

[euphlight]

True in contemporary wind band writing, where the euphonium is too often seen as merely a "tenor tuba." Gracious! I so dislike that label. We got better parts from American composers when the euphonium was called a baritone; now we're too often consigned to doubling the bass tubas on the octave.

More often then not unfortunately, The euphonium part also ends up doubling something (especially the 2nd or 3rd trombone part) or the tenor saxophone in particular doubles the euphonium . It might just do the 'elastic' scoring with the composer not knowing if a wind band will have a decent euphonium player or section.

[davewerden]

More often then not unfortunately, The euphonium part also ends up doubling something (especially the 2nd or 3rd trombone part) or the tenor saxophone in particular doubles the euphonium . It might just do the 'elastic' scoring with the composer not knowing if a wind band will have a decent euphonium player or section.

That reminds me! You mention one of my pet peeves. I even talk about it specifically in my Scoring for Euphonium booklet. If the euphonium section doubles any of the trombone voices it will throw the chord balance way off. Two or more euphoniums make a very large sound. I encourage composers to split the parts (which Sparke often does).

[Jonahzee]

That reminds me! You mention one of my pet peeves. I even talk about it specifically in my Scoring for Euphonium booklet. If the euphonium section doubles any of the trombone voices it will throw the chord balance way off. Two or more euphoniums make a very large sound. I encourage composers to split the parts (which Sparke often does).

Wow! Whenever I play music that doubles one of the trombone parts, it always "feels" very strange to my ears. That completely makes sense, that it throws the chord balance off. However, there are times when there is a divisi in the euphonium part that doubles trombones 1 and 2, while the tubas and bass trombone are doubled. This does work, but the former is much more common. That explains a lot!

[Simes]

Sparke comes from the British tradition. In their writing the euphonium is still a very important voice. In American music by contemporary composers, the euphonium is often not well-understood. If a college composition major takes an orchestration course, euphonium is mostly/totally ignored.

I would advise everyone to have a look at the euphonium part to Harmony Music, and for a totally non-typically-Sparke-like experience, Tallis Variations (much less flamboyant than some of his other brass band fare).

To my mind only Edward Gregson, Peter Graham and Philip Wilby write better euphonium parts for serious large works, or competition pieces.

Of Sparke's solos, my preference is Pantomime, and his Concertos I don't really get, preferring as I do the two John Golland Concerti.