History of Wind Band - Influential Composers

Influential Composers

In Europe at the turn of the 20th century, wind bands were also enjoying a high standard of performance and level of popularity. The core literature of bands had relied heavily of orchestral transcription in the past, but with the growing popularity of the wind band, composers were starting to take notice. In 1909 English composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934) wrote his First Suite in Eb; designed for the British-style military band, this piece has become a cornerstone in band literature. It is considered the first piece of music where the composer crafted very carefully the colors and style of wind instruments. The Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall, in a southwest suburb of London, was the place where credit for the popularity of many famous works for British band is credited. Under the direction of Colonel John A. C. Somerville, this school popularized many great works by Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gordon Jacob, and Percy Grainger. These pieces have since become standards in the band repertory, respected and well known to all modern band directors and music educators.,

American contemporaries to these British innovators include Charles Ives, an often-misunderstood visionary of the twentieth century. Ives composed music for both orchestra and wind bands from a young age, with his earliest composition being premiered when he was only 11 years old. The popularity of his very original sounding music speaks of the openness and change that was happening in the band world at the time, becoming more open to different genres of music. Many of his pieces not originally composed for a wind setting have since been transcribed and seen much implementation in the band repertory. Since 1940, there have been many original works for Wind Band by most prominent American composers.,

Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961) had a colorful effect on the evolution of the band world. He felt that composers should be working on music designed specifically for the demands and abilities of a wind band, just as they do for an orchestra. He convincingly spoke of the importance of a composer carefully considering each family of instruments and its color. Sousa, who performed them quite frequently with his band, helped immensely to popularize Grainger's works. A huge advocate for the saxophone, Grainger played a big role in its rapidly growing popularity, and he wrote very carefully for the instrument, saying it is, " . . . indispensable, but must be balanced and complete".,