Instrumental Duet Bassoon,Flute,Instrumental Duet,Oboe - Level 3 - Digital Download
SKU: A0.956629
Composed by Traditional. Arranged by Catriona Melville-Mason. Concert,Contemporary,Standards. Score and parts. 5 pages. C Melville-Mason #6487633. Published by C Melville-Mason (A0.956629).
This melody is described as traditional, as it is essentially an old Irish air. The lyrics of The Minstrel Boy were set to the tune by Thomas Moore (1779 – 1852), apparently in memory of friends who lost their lives in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
The tune is frequently performed in remembrance contexts, particularly those involving persons of Irish ancestry. In the UK, it is played annually at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London. The Minstrel Boy also featured during the procession to Westminster Abbey at the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in April 2002, reflecting her long association with the men of the Irish Regiment.
In the USA, police and fire departments historically included a high proportion of Irish-Americans, so it became traditional for The Minstrel Boy to be performed at the funerals of service members killed in the line of duty.
This arrangement of The Minstrel Boy is designed for double reed duo of oboe and bassoon but the upper part could also be played by flute.
