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Snake Fence Country

(Howard Cable)

Howard Cable wrote this piece of music in 1954 for a radio show he did in the summertime on CBC Radio.  The programs were so successful, the Mutual Broadcasting Company aired them in the United States.  Some folks at Chappell and Company in The Big Apple heard “Snake Fence Country” and another Cable composition, “Quebec Folk Fantasy”, and published them in Chappell’s Army Journal.  As a result, they have become staples of concert bands and military bands around the globe.  “Snake Fence Country” is a good example of a piece of 20th century classical music that employs familiar folk songs, such as “Buffalo Gals” and “Turkey in the Straw”, and weaves them into a sonic tapestry.

The Edmonton Wind Ensemble recorded “Snake Fence Country” in May of 1992 and included it on their 1997 CD of the same name.

Edmonton Wind Ensemble recordings
CBC Records SMCD 5165
Conductor – Harry Pinchin

Sources:

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_concert_band_literature
  2. Liner notes – Snake Fence Country