Rolling Thunder Cover Image

Rolling Thunder: Concert Band, Conductor Score

$12.00 USD
$12.00 USD
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Rolling Thunder Cover Image
Rolling Thunder: Concert Band, Conductor Score

Rolling Thunder: Concert Band, Conductor Score

By Henry Fillmore, ed./arr. by Col. Arnald Gabriel

Grade: 4

Item: 36-50105073
$12.00
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Description
There's never been another screamer quite like it! Fillmore's venerable warhorse has been given a thorough looking over by one of the foremost band conductors of our time. Drawing on his years of experience with the United States Air Force Band, Colonel Gabriel has meticulously edited this formidable march for the modern band. Rolling Thunder has long been an admired and often performed work in the symphonic band repertoire. Composed by (James) Henry Fillmore in 1916, this march was a favorite of conductor Merle Evans and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The work is dedicated to Ed Hicker, who as far as the little documentation shows, was an actor and musician in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and who may have performed with Fillmore in the many pit orchestra engagements of his youth. Rolling Thunder is unique within the march oeuvre, in that its softest dynamic marking is forte! In later printings, Fillmore added the subtitle "A Trombone Ace," perhaps a tip of the hat to his own instrument and that the trombones and other bass instruments are playing to the fore from beginning to end. Fillmore also indicates that the march should be played Furioso. So sit back, close your eyes and enjoy the exciting, death defying sounds of the circus as only Henry Fillmore (our Uncle Henry) can do.

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Additional Details
Series: Col. Arnald Gabriel Series - LudwigMasters
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 1-62-156119-4
ISBN13: 978-1-62-156119-4
UPC: 659359520808
SKU: 36-50105073
Instrumentation: Concert Band

More about this title

About the Composer: Henry Fillmore

Henry Fillmore (1881-1956) was a trombonist and composer who became one of the most prolific march writers of the early twentieth century. He wrote over 250 marches during his lifetime, many of which entered the permanent band repertoire and remain staples today. Fillmore's background as a performer gave him an intimate understanding of what makes a march exciting and idiomatic for each instrument; his marches are celebrated for brilliant writing that showcases entire sections, particularly the lower brass and woodwinds.

Why we love this

Rolling Thunder is a masterclass in pure band sonority and sectional writing, and Colonel Gabriel's edition captures every ounce of that energy while clarifying the orchestration for modern ensembles. The march's structural clarity and relentless forward momentum make it rewarding to conduct; every rehearsal shows progress, and the payoff in performance is immediate and thrilling. This is the kind of piece that reminds musicians why they chose to play in a band.

What to expect

Rollicking, unapologetic, and exhilarating. Rolling Thunder captures the excitement and spectacle of a circus parade, with brassy optimism and relentless drive from the opening note to the final crash. It's a piece that celebrates ensemble virtuosity and the pure joy of playing together at full volume.

Who it's for

Bands at the Grade 4 level with solid fundamentals and the stamina to maintain energy across the full march. This score is essential for conductors who want a definitive edition of a circus-tent classic, especially those familiar with Gabriel's meticulous editing work.

How to get the most out of it

  • Maintain the furioso character throughout; even the softer passages (all forte or louder) should feel propulsive and urgent, never relaxed or lyrical.
  • Give the trombone section room to shine without drowning them out in the tutti passages. Balance the upper woodwinds carefully against the full harmony below.
  • Lock the rhythmic precision of the march patterns in your rhythm section and bass line before adding harmonic color; Rolling Thunder's power comes from absolute metric confidence.
  • Shape the phrase punctuation with slight tempo and dynamic adjustments rather than stops; the piece thrives on continuous momentum even through sectional breaks.

How to use it

This is a natural closer for a concert, capable of leaving the audience on a high note of excitement and energy. It pairs well with contrasting material earlier in the program; program a lyrical or introspective work before Rolling Thunder to make the shift in character even more striking.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustaining consistent tone and intonation at loud dynamics across multiple phrases
  • Reading conductor gestures and responding to tempo shifts in march-style conducting patterns
  • Balancing inner voices and counter-lines while maintaining clarity in full ensemble texture
  • Executing rhythmic precision in march-style patterns (especially syncopated rhythms in the melody and counterpoint)
  • Projecting musical character through dynamic control when the dynamic floor is forte

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