Absent-Minded Begger's March

[humBell]

I imagine it is out of copyright, but i have only been able to track down a piano reduction online.

Anyone able to point me at a band arrangement score and parts? Or perhaps relay the tale of how it was never published? I have no idea, but at the time it was a real moneymaker, so it might have been tightly regulated. Again, i don't know...

[Yorkboy]

That was a tremendously popular poem, back in its day.

https://youtu.be/oCfRFKGxDIg

I believe the march was written by Arthur Sullivan.

All I could track down was the piano score also, sorry I can't be of more help...good luck!

[humBell]

Thanks a bunch for the effort!

Having been exposed to a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan in New England over the years, and being a Kipling fan for so long, i was doubly surprise how long i went without knowing about this.

I'll certainly post news if i find anything further.

[humBell]

Bump.

I suppose i should do more looking myself.

I should amend the situation to add i had found the song with piano accompaniment, and recording or two on the internet.

I suppose that means perhaps contacting the group what recorded it and seeing if they can offer a lead would be a reasonable stratagy.

I could imagine its initial extreme popularity coupled with its fundraising purpose could mean parts were kept tightly controlled to begin with, and it has never actually been published except in piano reduction?

Someday, i might be less lazy, and do things...

Anyway, perhaps that was a little wordy for a mere smeer bump.

[humBell]

Bump.

I am still lazy and haven't made any real effort to track this down.

But if folk wish to hear the march:



And yeah i guess i should look up the (squints at youtube description) Royal Military School of Music & Kneller Hall Band and ask them where i may get the charts.

How much would i pay? Shipping and printing costs i assume, at least. I never bought music before on this level so i don't know what i am doing. (no one is suckering me into a position of responsibility!) While i expect it is out of copyright under normal circumstances, it was so lucrative in its day, i assume it was never actually published, and they may well have kept a tight lid on who had access to the parts and was permitted to perform it.

[iiipopes]

Every day I get closer and closer to that being my theme song....

[hrender]

Went looking, didn't find it (yet). Found a couple of vocal arrangements and one for trombone quartet. FWIW, found a good source of old band music here that has some Arthur Sullivan pieces but not this one. Apparently, like in Breaker Morant, no one wants to remember the Boer War. I'll keep looking. Apparently Boosey was the original publisher, so it might be worth asking them if they have a back catalog somewhere that would have it.

[humBell]

Thanks a bunch for looking!

I'm pestering Boosey & Hawkes then (hopefully not too much) and we'll see where that leads. I won't get my hopes up too much. And i'll forward the trombone arrangement to a trombone player i know (who might have ther wherewithal to get it performed and maybe let me in on some of the playing if i promise to practice...)

[humBell]

Don't think i got any response from Boosey & Hawkes (or if i did, i didn't notice... email seems weird sometimes)

Will double check at some point...

In the meantime, oh well. Went and ordered the record mentioned above (not that the youtube link is inadequate in any way) but i like the other stuff on the album too.