Ward America the Beautiful
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"America the Beautiful" is one of the most popular American patriotic songs. There have been several unsuccessful campaigns to make it the official national anthem, replacing "The Star Spangled Banner". As with many songs, the words and music were written by two different people at two different times. The tune was written as an organ church hymn by Samuel Ward in 1882, and the lyrics are from an 1895 poem by Katharine Lee Bates.
This composition can be played by 4,977,616 different combinations of instruments (really!).
A few notes on the parts and instruments:
- The standard ("std") parts are the original parts and are designed to be played together.
- The alternate "a" parts, if present, are raised one octave (8va) and can be substituted for a standard part to accommodate the higher instruments listed. They should work as long as they are above the other parts.
- The alternate "b" parts, if present, are lowered one octave (8vb) and can be substituted for a standard part to accommodate the lower instruments listed. They should work as long as they are below the other parts.
- For example, using parts 1, 2, and 3 together is definitely ok. Using parts 1a, 2, and 3b together is probably ok. Using parts 1b, 2, and 3a together might not work well.
- Part ranges are listed in concert key, where C4 is middle C.
When you purchase this composition, you will be taken to PayPal to submit your payment. As soon as you pay, you will be able to download all the PDF files immediately. You will have access to every part for each available instrument, in the proper key and clef. You will also get a complete score (in most cases, we include four separate scores with all parts transposed to C, Bb, Eb, and F).
You don't have to purchase each part separately; one single payment covers all the parts you need for the instruments in your ensemble.
We have 4 versions of this composition. Click on the version name to jump to the different versions. Note that each version is purchased separately.
Version v01
Buy Version v01 ($1.99)This version is a duet for violin and cello. It is rather challenging, and the cello is sometimes playing higher than the violin.
Live recording available
Composition: Ward America the Beautiful
Version: v01
Instrumentation: Duet
The original key has been changed to better fit the instruments.
Duration: 1 minutes
Difficulty: Challenging
Price: $1.99
| Ward America the Beautiful, Version v01 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Part | Range | Available Instruments |
| Score | Full Score in C, Bb, Eb, and F | |
| Part 1 (std) | A3 - E6 | Violin |
| Part 2 (std) | G2 - F#5 | Cello |
Version v02
Buy Version v02 ($1.99)This version is for cello or viola solo.
Live recording available
Composition: Ward America the Beautiful
Version: v02
Instrumentation: Solo
The original key has been changed to better fit the instruments.
Duration: 1 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Price: $1.99
| Ward America the Beautiful, Version v02 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Part | Range | Available Instruments |
| Score | Full Score in C, Bb, Eb, and F | |
| Part 1 (std) | G2 - F#4 | Cello |
| Part 1a (8va) | G3 - F#5 | Viola |
Version v03
Buy Version v03 ($1.99)This is identical to version v02 but has been transposed to a different key for solo violin.
Composition: Ward America the Beautiful
Version: v03
Instrumentation: Solo
The original key has been changed to better fit the instruments.
Duration: 1 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Price: $1.99
| Ward America the Beautiful, Version v03 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Part | Range | Available Instruments |
| Score | Full Score in C, Bb, Eb, and F | |
| Part 1 (std) | D4 - C#6 | Violin |
Version v04
Buy Version v04 ($4.99)This is an incredibly versatile arrangement. It can be played with anything from a trio to a full band or orchestra. All necessary parts are included in the appropriate clef and transposition to support the following ensembles:
- Brass trio, quartet, quintet, and sextet
- Woodwind trio, quartet, quintet, and sextet
- String trio, quartet, quintet, and sextet
- Clarinet trio, quartet, quintet, and sextet
- Saxophone trio, quartet, and quintet
- Mixed trio, quartet, quintet, and sextet, with optional percussion
- Wind ensemble, brass ensemble, string orchestra, full orchestra, and full band
The parts are described as follows:
- Part 1 is the main melody.
- Part 2 has some B-section melody and harmony.
- Part 3 is additional harmony.
- Part 4 is the main bass line.
- Part 5 is other harmony.
- Part 6 is the main melody down an octave, with some additional notes.
- Part 7 is an optional percussion part (snare drum, cymbal, bass drum) that can be added to any of the above combinations, or skipped entirely.
We recommend the following combinations:
- Trio: Parts 1, 2, 4 (4 works better than 3 for trio).
- Quartet: Parts 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Quintet: Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- Sextet: Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Composition: Ward America the Beautiful
Version: v04
Instrumentation: Septet
Duration: 1 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Price: $4.99
| Ward America the Beautiful, Version v04 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Part | Range | Available Instruments |
| Score | Full Score in C, Bb, Eb, and F | |
| Part 1 (std) | D4 - E5 | Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, Alto Clarinet, Soprano/Alto Saxophone, Bb Trumpet, Violin, Viola |
| Part 2 (std) | B3 - D5 | Bb Clarinet, Alto/Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, French Horn, Bb Trumpet, Violin, Viola, Cello |
| Part 3 (std) | G3 - G4 | Bb Clarinet, Alto/Bass Clarinet, Alto/Tenor Saxophone, Bassoon, French Horn, Bb Trumpet, Baritone, Trombone, C/Bb Euphonium, Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass 8vb |
| Part 4 (std) | F2 - B3 | Bass Clarinet, Baritone/Bass Saxophone, Bassoon, French Horn, Trombone, Bass Trombone, C/Bb Euphonium, Tuba, Cello, Bass 8vb |
| Part 5 (std) | E2 - D3 | Bass Clarinet, Bass Saxophone, Bassoon, French Horn, Trombone, Bass Trombone, C/Bb Euphonium, Tuba, Cello, Bass 8vb |
| Part 6 (std) | D3 - E4 | Bb Clarinet, Alto/Bass Clarinet, Tenor/Baritone Saxophone, Bassoon, French Horn, Baritone, Trombone, C/Bb Euphonium, Viola, Cello, Bass 8vb |
| Part 7 (std) | C1 - C1 | Percussion |