Jingo (Magen Miller)

Jingo is an explosively rousing piece that is not for the feint of heart. With hard-driving ostinatos layered with soaring melodic lines, it represents the frustration and fear one feels in association with war.

Genre: Band | # of Players: Standard
Level: 5 | Duration: 4:30

Instrumentation
Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe 1
Oboe 2
Bassoon 1
Bassoon 2
Clarinet in Bb 1
Clarinet in Bb 2
Clarinet in Bb 3
Bass Clarinet in Bb
Alto Saxophone 1
Alto Saxophone 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

Horn in F 1
Horn in F 2
Horn in F 3
Horn in F 4
Trumpet in Bb 1
Trumpet in Bb 2
Trumpet in Bb 3
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Trombone 3
Euphonium
(Baritone T.C.)
Tuba

Double Bass

Timpani (4 drums)
Percussion 1 (Bells, Tam-Tam)
Percussion 2 (Xylophone)
Percussion 3 (4-octave Marimba)
Percussion 4 (Snare Drum, Bass Drum)
Percussion 5 (Suspended Cymbal, Splash Cymbal, Tambourine)

Piano

Program Notes
jin•go (noun) – a vociferous supporter of policy favoring war, especially in the name of patriotism.

Jingo is a expression of the composer’s frustration with the fear-mongering and saber rattling by the global politico and its ally, the Military-Industrial Complex. The piece opens with a hard-driving ostinato over which several ideas are layered. This ostinato provides the foundation from which the themes of the main section of the work are derived. After building to a climax, the music recedes, first into a mysterious, almost questioning section, then a painfully slow, reflective one. A percussion break follows after which the main theme returns and brings the piece to an explosive finish.

Jingo exists in three versions. The first is a work for orchestra completed in 2009. In 2011, a small wind band version was commissioned by the Georgia State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble. This version was premiered by the commissioning body on September 29, 2011 at the Rialto Center for the Arts in Atlanta, Georgia with the composer present. The current arrangement for full wind band was created with the support and urging of the composer.