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Compositions and Arrangements by Frans Absil for Wind Band: An Overview
Guide to the Fanfare and Concert Band Music
This document provides guidance to fanfare or concert bands, who would like to get familiar with my compositions and arrangements. The music is listed in ascending order of complexity. [Nederlands >>]
Easy >> | Medium >> | Advanced pieces >> | Further reading >>
1. Easy pieces
The table below shows the elementary pieces for band. In most cases these can be played by an incomplete band; there are non-essential parts for bassoons, bass trombone and 2nd oboe. The lack of 4th trumpet and 4th horn will not really be detrimental to the overall sound. In the pieces in popular style the rhythm section must contain a bass player and will certainly benefit from a keyboard player. Click on the Title for detailed notes, on the G-clef icon to see a score excerpt, or on the
Speaker icon to play the audio file. Grade has a range 1-5. (*: orchestrated for concert/fanfare band, others for concert band only.)
| Title | Composer | Dur. | Gr. | Score | MP3 |
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| Slay Right (P'Teeth Suite, Mvt. 2) | F.G.J. Absil | 2'30 | 2 |
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| Part of Your World | A. Menken | 3'00 | 2 |
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| Moon River | H. Mancini | 4'20 | 2 |
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| Hello | L. Richie | 3'50 | 2 |
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| Sad Ballad or Bad Salad? (P'Teeth Suite, Mvt. 3) | F.G.J. Absil | 4'15 | 3 |
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| Smart Latin* | F.G.J. Absil | 3'30 | 3 |
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| Tea, Biscuits and Muffin Dance (P'Teeth Suite, Mvt. 4) | F.G.J. Absil | 3'00 | 3 |
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| Dutch Roll (P'Teeth Suite, Mvt. 5) | F.G.J. Absil | 4'00 | 3 |
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| Over the Rainbow* | H. Arlen | 4'40 | 3 |
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| 'Round Midnight | T. Monk | 3'10 | 3 |
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Wind Music Contest Repertoire 2010:
The compositions Smart Latin and Fish Finger Frenzy are listed in the Netherlands Lichte Muziek Repertorium 2010, in the category Popular Music for symphonic wind band.
Flemish Wind Music Repertoire:
The P'Teeth Suite is listed in the Belgian Flemish Vlaamse Amateurmuziekorganisatie (VLAMO) Repertorium as a contest piece in the ere-afdeling (top division). The movements Sad Ballad or Bad Salad? (3) and Dutch Roll (5) are listed as concert works in the ere-afdeling, Slay Right (2) en Tea, Biscuits & Muffin Dance (4) are concert works in the division uitmuntendheid.
Easy >> | Medium >> | Advanced pieces >> | Further reading >> | Top of Page >>
2. Medium complexity pieces
| Title | Composer | Dur. | Gr. | Score | MP3 |
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| Dinghy Rock* | F.G.J. Absil | 2'45 | 3 |
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| Lightweight Concerto in F* | F.G.J. Absil | 3'55 | 3 |
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| Radio Rumba | F.G.J. Absil | 5'35 | 3 |
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| Misty | E. Garner | 4'30 | 3 |
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| Just the Way You Are | B. Joel | 4'45 | 3 |
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| One Note Samba | A.C. Jobim | 3'40 | 3 |
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| Cabaret | Ebb/Kander | 3'40 | 3 |
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| Ellington Favourites | D. Ellington | 16'00 | 3 |
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| Roof Garden | A. Jarreau | 3'15 | 3 |
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| Stevie Wonder Medley | S. Wonder | 12'30 | 3 |
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| Fish Finger Frenzy (P'Teeth Suite, Mvt. 1) | F.G.J. Absil | 5'25 | 4 |
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| Oorlog in de polder (War in the Low Lands) | F.G.J. Absil | 6'25 | 4 |
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| Strijd tegen het water (Fighting the Sea) | F.G.J. Absil | 7'50 | 4 |
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| Suspension and Bridge | F.G.J. Absil | 5'30 | 4 |
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| Blue Moon | R. Rodgers | 5'45 | 4 |
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Flemish Wind Music Repertoire:
Movement 1, Fish Finger Frenzy from the P'Teeth Suite is listed in the Belgian Flemish Vlaamse Amateurmuziekorganisatie (VLAMO) Repertorium as a concert piece in the ere-afdeling (top division).
Concert performance:
The Stevie Wonder Medley has been performed in 2008 and 2009 by the Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy (conductor: Dik Roelofsen).
The arrangement of Blue Moon was performed on 23 and 24 January 2010 by the Stadtmusik Rorschach, Switzerland (conductor: Guido Schwalt) during their "aussergewöhnliche, nicht ultimative STAMURO-Chartshow".
Easy >> | Medium >> | Advanced pieces >> | Further reading >> | Top of Page >>
3. Advanced pieces
The pieces from the table below should be only attempted when your band is of outstanding quality (excellent amateurs mixed with professional players).
| Title | Composer | Dur. | Gr. | Score | MP3 |
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| It's Only a Paper Moon | H. Arlen | 4'55 | 4 |
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| Let it Snow (Seasonal Songs, Pt. 1) | J. Styne | 4'00 | 4 |
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| The Summer Knows (Seasonal Songs, Pt. 3) | M. Legrand | 4'15 | 4 |
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| Ningao Valley | F.G.J. Absil | 5'30 | 5 |
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| Bone in the Barrio* | F.G.J. Absil | 7'15 | 5 |
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| It Might as Well be Spring (Seasonal Songs, Pt. 2) | R. Rodgers | 4'25 | 5 |
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| Autumn Leaves (Seasonal Songs, Pt. 4) | J. Cosma | 4'40 | 5 |
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| The Blue Danube Makeover | J. Strauss | 7'10 | 5 |
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| My One and Only Love | Mellin/Wood | 5'05 | 5 |
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Flemish Wind Music Repertoire:
The composition Bone in the Barrio is listed in the Belgian Flemish Vlaamse Amateurmuziekorganisatie (VLAMO) Repertorium as a concert piece in the ere-afdeling (top division).
Concert performance:
The arrangement of It's only a Paper Moon has been played by L'Ensemble Instrumental de Saint André d'Apchon, from Roanne in the Loire region.
The set of arrangements including Let It Snow, It Might As Well Be Spring, The Summer Knows and Autumn Leaves have been performed by the Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy (conductor: Peter Kleine Schaars).
The arrangement of The Blue Danube Makeover was commissioned by the Dutch Symphonic Wind Orchestra (conductor: Ruud Welle) for their 2006 concert tour in France.
Recorded on CD:
The ballad The Summer Knows has been recorded by the Nederlands Politie Orkest on the CD The Strong Arm, The Police in Concert II (conductor: Hans Boom).
Easy >> | Medium >> | Advanced pieces >> | Further reading >> | Top of Page >>
4. Further reading
Here are the suggestions for further reading:
- For a full list of original music go to the Compositions page >>
- For a full list of arrangements go to the Arrangements page >>
- Listen to MP3 excerpts on the Audio page >>
- For requesting additional information go to the Contact section >>
- For ordering the sheet music see the Concert Band and Fanfare Music pricelist >>
