ABSTRACT
Celtic Set, the first non-traditional wind band work by an American composer, can be seen as a milder 1930s rejoinder to Cowell’s acclaimed body of avant-garde piano works from earlier in his career. With a pragmatic approach intensified by his time in San Quentin, Cowell allowed the Irish dances and lyric songs of Celtic Set to be edited, arranged, and partially scored by Grainger and Goldman. An examination of the thematic information in Celtic Set strongly hints that the origins of uniquely American wind band music came into being not despite Cowell's incarceration, but because of it. The early performances of Cowell's new band pieces beyond the walls of San Quentin were, at best, marginal events. In addition to the numerous letters between Cowell and Grainger, the archival materials for Celtic Set include Cowell's holograph short score to the "Reel" and the fair copies of "Caoine" and "Hornpipe" used to prepare the Schirmer publication.
