The Jolly Farmer Goes to Town (Schumann/arr. Marlatt)

GRADE 3-3.5

The Jolly Farmer (Happy Farmer) is a short piano work by Schumann found in his collection Album for the Young which features 43 short works he wrote for his three daughters. The music was designed to be played by children or beginners and featured different character and style pieces with strong melodies. 

Since this melody in played predominately in the left hand on the piano, various arrangements have been created featuring low voices in orchestras and bands. William J. Bell, a tuba player (who played with the Sousa Band and the Cincinnati Symphony), decided to compose a short theme and variations based on this famous melody. The result has become an absolute standard among developing tuba players. It features the original melody and ornamented variations including the final one featuring some optional triple tonguing. With kind permission from the publisher Carl Fischer, this arrangement can now be enjoyed in brass quintet format.

Sample pages of the score can be viewed above.

SOUND SAMPLE