This complete arrangement of The Music for the Royal Fireworks was made in January 2017 at the request of Lieutenant-Colonel Kevin Roberts, Senior Director of Music of the Household Division. I tried to make the version as close to the original as possible while arranging it to work for modern symphonic band. Although tempting, I did not want to ‘arrange’ it too much, certainly not as much as the familiar Hamilton Harty arrangements. Consequently I kept the whole work in the same key of B flat, either major or minor, and made a few logical adjustments for the lower key and the technical facility of modern instruments. I have added a few apposite dynamics and articulations. I have also notated the music in the appropriate ‘French’ style, writing out the double-dotted figures, especially in the Overture. In doing this I have gone further than the limited suggestions in the Eulenburg edition and taken account of the expertise of exponents of ‘Historically Informed Performance’. The instrumentation is for full band but would work without trombones and saxophones and, to a lesser extent, flutes; clarinets though, are essential.
Duration: c. 20
