Product Description
Dear Sirs,
Marche de Parachutistes Belge (March of the Belgian Paratroopers) by Pierre Leemans is certainly not a new piece to the band world. There are at least four popular arrangements. However, all four arrangements do not include ALL the musical ideas written by Pierre Leemans in his original composition. Pierre original wrote the work for Belgian Brass Band in Fanfare form. With the exception the John Bourgeois arrangements the other three were written at lower levels so they could be used by standard school bands or community bands.
Charles Whiley of Lamar University in Texas. Medium Level American concert band instrumentation and form
James Swearingen: Medium Easy for Marching Band
Michael Brown: Medium Easy Flex Band
Col. John R Bourgeois, 25th Director, US Marine Corps Band: Medium Difficult
In 2001 Col.John Bourgeois and I had the opportunity to work together. He was my US Liason for my high school band that was doing the 1st ever concert tour through China. He and I had a discussion on how often music arrangers leave out important music ideas from the original compositions. At the time, I have no idea if John was talking about March of the Belgian Paratroopers. However, just three weeks after I finished my arrangement of the work, I was shocked to find out Col. Bourgeois did the exact same thing and had it published. Although they are not EXACTly the same, they do encompass most of Pierre Leemans original ideas.
What makes John Bourgeois story interesting was I did the exact same thing, but for a different reason.
After I retired from 42 years of teaching high school band, I continued in music playing French Horn with two local college/university bands, The Del Monte Brass at the Monterey Naval Postgraduate School (base concert band), and the Monterey Peninsula College Concert Band. I eventually became Assistant Director of both groups. One important task I volunteered to do was write out parts and arrangements for both groups using the Sibelius music writing computer program. I must admit I was rusty at it. To improve my skills, I began arranging full concert band works. The following explains how I chose March of the Belgian Paratroopers.
Around 2002-03 I was looking for a competition street march for my 160-piece marching band. I remembered the Charles Wileys concert arrangement and wondered if there was an American marching band version. To my surprise there was NOT. So, I found Peirre Leemans Belgian publisher online and sent for whatever they had. What they sent me was the original "fanfare brass band" version. That was when I discovered there were other interesting parts and musical ideas not included in the Charles Wiley concert band arrangement. For Example: Attention would be needed to create a standard American instrumentation march both in style, range, and instrumentation off a European Brass Band instrumentation much of which was in other keys.
From this I had to create a standard street march for competition in American instrumentation and form. Fortunately, Leemans composition was in his Fanfare marching form, which is similar to a standard march except some would question where the Trio is. That particular year I was considering using this a street march I did not have the time to re-edit every part. So, I pieced it together giving the Bugle parts to clarinets, flute and piccolo came off the solo Soprano Sax, French Horns used the Euphonium line, I wrote the Klaroen part into the 2nd Trumpet and 2nd Trombone parts. The Glockenspiel part was lengthened to play the entire march, and on and on. To my surprise it worked. So much so I began getting requests for copies. But I never taken the time to arrange it into one neat composition. Now I do.
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