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Finnegan's Wake - A.J. Potter

2 January, 2010 - 14:22 — admin

Written by A.J. Potter, this is an ever popular concert piece and is as fun to play as it is to listen to.

Potter first arranged the tune of the Dublin street ballad Finnegan’s Wake in 1957 for the wind and percussion sections (with piano) of the Radio Éireann Concert Orchestra. A few months later he arranged it for the wind and percussion sections of the R.É. Symphony Orchestra and this was probably the basis of the later concert band arrangement.  The ballad, which James Joyce also drew on for the title and the resurrection theme of his literary epic, begins 

Tim Finnegan liv’d in Walkin Street,
A gentleman Irish, mighty odd.
He had a tongue both rich and sweet,
An’ to rise in the world he carried a hod.
Now Tim had a sort of a tipplin’ way,
With the love of the liquor he was born,
An’ to help him on with his work each day,

A.J.Potter
and so on … and so on … As Potter described the events of the ballad: ‘Unfortunately, Mr. Finnegan’s intemperate habits led to his becoming involved in an industrial accident (he fell off the ladder) and on his injuries seeming to have proved fatal, he was conveyed to his residence to be laid out for the wake. The sad occasion drew a large attendance from the neighbourhood, and the career of the deceased was discussed with an intensity which led, alas, to acrimony. A brawl ensued, in the course of which various missiles were jactated, including a naggin of whiskey. This latter missed its intended target, and, striking the wall immediately above the deceased’s head, precipitated the contents over him. Having been thus anointed with the precious spirit, the corpse arose Lazarus-like and addressed the assembled company in forceful language.’

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Finnegan’s Wake is one of Potter’s best-known and best-loved works and he made several arrangements of it for a variety of ensembles, including full orchestra, brass band, and four-, eight- and twenty-hand piano duets, as well as this one in 1970 for concert band.

As Potter was a great pragmatist, slight changes have been made to the 1970 version for this new edition. These include the addition of parts for Flute II, Bass Clarinet and Baritone Saxophone; the re-allocation of the three Cornet parts to Trumpets, the Trombone III part to Bass Trombone and the BBb Bass part to Tuba. The 1970 version was scored for Solo, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Clarinets and this has been altered to 1st, 2nd and 3rd Clarinets (the original 1st and 3rd parts were virtually identical). The Timpani part, which Potter added in 1976, has been extended by adding F and B flat to the original G and D.

Grade 4

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Listen to Finnegan's Wake by A.J. Potter  Sound file performed by the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble

  PDF Score