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Danceries (Set I): Wind Band Score & Parts

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Danceries (Set I) Cover Image

Danceries (Set I): Wind Band Score & Parts

By Kenneth Hesketh

Item: 12-0571520170

$180.00
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Description
The term Danceries can be found in a copy of Playford's Dancing Master, an extensive collection of folk and popular tunes of the seventeenth century (and no doubt earlier). This publication was used by master fiddle players to teach the various dance steps of the day to a nobleman's house or a king's court. Whilst this present set of 'Danceries' cannot be said to be an aid to terpsichorean agility, it will at least set feet tapping!

The melodies themselves are a mixture of new and old---well, nearly. Where the old occurs it has been adapted in mood and composition and is often interspersed with completely new material. The harmonies and rhythms bring a breath of the new into these themes and add to the drama of the set.

Movement 1: Lull me beyond thee.
Gentle and lilting, almost a barcarole, this movement is very much a reverie. The original tune had the name 'Poor Robin's Maggot' - a rather disconcerting title; maggot, however, in seventeenth-century parlance meant whim or fancy. This theme can also be found in The Beggar's Opera by John Gay (first performed in 1728) under the title 'Would you have a young lady' (Air 21).

Movement 2: Catching of Quails.
A colorful, buoyant scherzo on an original melody. The thematic material is shuttled around the band to contrast with full-bodied tuttis. The last few bars fade away to almost nothing before a final surprise!

Movement 3: My Lady's Rest.
A tender pavane, also on an original theme, with Moorish leanings. Solos for principal winds and brass contrast with warmer tutti passages. The movement culminates with a final presentation of the theme before evaporating in held flute and trumpet chords.

Movement 4: Quodling's delight.
The final movement to the set combining one of the melodies from Playford's Dancing Master ('Goddesses') with an original contrasting melody. A dramatic and exuberant ending to the set of 'Danceries'.

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Additional Details
Series: Faber Edition: Faber Wind Band Series
Publisher: Faber Music
ISBN10: 0-571-52017-0
ISBN13: 978-0-571-52017-6
UPC: 9780571520176
SKU: 12-0571520170
Instrumentation: Wind Band

More about this title

About the Composer: Kenneth Hesketh

Kenneth Hesketh is a Scottish composer whose work spans orchestral, choral, and band repertoire. His compositions are characterized by vibrant orchestration, harmonic invention, and a gift for shaping traditional and original material into contemporary concert works.

Why we love this

Hesketh takes seventeenth-century source material and reimagines it with twentieth-century harmonic language and orchestration, creating something that feels both grounded in tradition and distinctly modern. The three movements offer genuine musical contrast without sacrificing coherence, and the piece rewards players who attend to the colorful internal writing that keeps the band engaged throughout.

What to expect

The set moves from contemplative and dreamy to bright and playful to dignified and noble. The orchestration sparkles; thematic material passes between instruments with theatrical clarity, and the harmonies add warmth and color to melodies that might otherwise feel period-bound.

Who it's for

Wind bands seeking repertoire that balances accessibility with genuine artistic substance. This work suits groups comfortable with twentieth-century harmonic language but wanting to explore the intersection of folk tradition and contemporary writing.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the thematic material as it moves between sections in Movement 2; the scherzo's effectiveness depends on clarity of the shuttled lines rather than volume.
  • Shape Movement 1 with the gentle lilt suggested in the tempo marking; treat it as a genuine reverie, not merely slow.
  • Pay attention to the final bars of Movement 2 where the texture fades almost to silence; this makes the surprise ending land with impact.
  • Let the Moorish character in Movement 3 inform your approach to phrasing and tone color in the principal solos.

How to use it

Program this as part of a concert exploring historical dance traditions through modern eyes, or pair it with other twentieth-century works that reinterpret older material. The three distinct movements also work well as a standalone suite that demonstrates range without requiring a lengthy rehearsal commitment.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing inner voices while maintaining primary melodic line
  • Executing clean sectional entrances in scherzo writing
  • Sustaining soft dynamic levels with tonal focus (Movement 1 fade)
  • Responding to harmonic color shifts driven by contemporary orchestration
  • Shaping principal solos within an ensemble context (Movement 3)

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