Kingsfold Steven Barton

Band
Number of Players:Standard
Copyright:2006
Piccolo
Flute 1/2
Oboe 1/2
English Horn
Bassoon 1/2
Bb Clarinet 1
Bb Clarinet 2
Bb Clarinet 3
Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1/2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2/3
Horn 1/3
Horn 2/4
Trombone 1/2
Trombone 3
Euphonium
(Baritone T.C.)
Tuba
Timpani
Mallet 1 (chimes, bells, xylophone)
Mallet 2 (vibraphone, marimba)
Percussion 1 (bass drum, snare drum, concert tom)
Percussion 2 (low concert tom, triangle, tambourine)
Percussion 3 (tam-tam, suspended cymbal, crash cymbals)
Honoring Dr. Jack Stamp on the 10th Anniversary of his leadership of the Keystone Wind Ensemble

Kingsfold was commissioned by the members of the Keystone Wind Ensemble and dedicated to its founder and conductor, Dr. Jack Stamp, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the group in 2004.

The melody was collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1906. It was originally known as The Red Barn or The Murder of Maria Martin and told the story of an infamous 1827 murder and trial in Sussex, England. The tune was collected at the Wheatsheaf Inn in the hamlet of Kingsfold in West Sussex. Vaughan Williams harmonized the melody, renamed it Kingsfold, and published it in "The Church Hymnary" as I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say.

The composition is a fantasia in four main sections. After a brief introduction using fragments of the melody, the theme is first stated in the English horn and is passed through various choirs of instruments. The second section, beginning at measure 44, is an homage to Norman Dello Joio, a favorite of both the composer and Dr. Stamp. The third section begins at measure 70, treating the theme in a brief fugal statement. After a short transition, the melody is finally stated in a majestic chorale setting.

The composition received its first performance at the Keystone Wind Ensemble's annual recording session on July 2, 2004. Its first public performance was by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Symphony Band in February 2005 under the baton of Dr. Jack Stamp.