Five Folk Songs for Soprano and Wind Band

Five Folk Songs for Soprano and Wind Band was written in 1966 by Bernard Gilmore and cited as the best original composition at the 1967 College Band Directors National Association annual conference. It was inspired by folk recordings of Theodore Bikel and groups like the Limelighters. The bouncy opening Irish tune, “Mrs. McGrath,” is an ironic commentary on the horrors of war. “All the Pretty Little Horses” is a lullaby featuring a solo clarinet. “Yerakina” suggests a traditional Greek dance through the usage of slow, rhythmic ostinato and tonic pedal. “El Burro” depicts the tragic death of an animal important to a village through a mournful and processional dirge. “A Fidler” is a humorous and playful Yiddish tune depicting a young musician's first violin lesson and his mother's dream of him becoming a great virtuoso. (Source: published score and Wikipedia)