Recollections of Buffalo

“Recollections of Buffalo” by Francis Johnson

“Recollections of Buffalo” is one of the many pieces written by Johnson to honor locations visited by his band on tours in the 1830s, usually traveling by stagecoach and steamboat. This orchestration is based on instrumentation from other surviving collections and reflects the size of ensemble Johnson have taken on some of his pioneering tours throughout the United States.

Johnson’s band would have had a wider variety of soprano brass tone colors than is common in modern ensembles.  The Eb and 1^st Bb trumpet parts in this orchestration would have been covered by keyed bugles, and the 2^nd and 3^rd  Bb trumpet parts by cornopeans (valved forerunner of the modern cornet).  While the orchestration will sound fine with all the parts covered by trumpets, using different instruments on the Eb and 1^st Bb part (such as cornets) and others on the 3rd and 4^th Bb parts, (such as flugelhorns or trumpets), would come closer to the color variety found during the first half of the 19^th Century in Johnson’s famed band. 

Instrumentation: 422.12

• Trumpet in E♭
• Trumpets 1-3 in B♭
• 2 Trombones
• Euphonium
• Tuba
• Field Drum