Oscar Borg (1851–1930) was a Norwegian composer and band conductor. After having received his music education in Stockholm, Sweden, he spent the rest of his professional life – more than 40 years – in the town of Halden in south-eastern Norway, conducting the local 1st Brigade Army Band.
Borg is best known for his marches for wind band and has been called ‘The March King of Norway’. He composed 60 marches for military band, 100 songs and about 170 arrangements of various kinds.
Foremost among his marches are some of the earliest ones he wrote – King Haakon VII Honorary March (1905), and Crown Prince Olav Honorary March (1891, initially written to honour Swedish Prince Carl and renamed when Norway had a new royal family in 1905).
Much played locally are The Norwegian Lion (Den Norske Løve, 1894, initially titled ‘Long Live the Union’, but hastily retitled in reference to the Norwegian coat of arms upon the country’s independence in 1905), and Norwegian Gymnastics March (Norsk turnermarsj, 1886).
Borg composed this royal honorary march for his own small band. Subsequently, it was re-orchestrated for full band and published by Bjarne Th. Larssen, conductor of the Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces in the 1950s. Now the march has been revised to meet the requirements of modern concert bands.
The sound clip is computer generated using sampled sounds (AI). Transcriptions and descriptions are not AI-generated.
This royal honorary march has been revised for modern concert band without sacrificing its original majestic grandeur. It is still much played as a concert march on festive occasions in its native country.
Set contains one score and one copy of each part, as download or on paper. Copying allowed by aquiring band for their performances only. Additional copies may be obtained from the J. W. Pepper webshop.
Oscar Borg (1851–1930) was a Norwegian composer and band conductor. After having received his music education in Stockholm, Sweden, he spent the rest of his professional life – more than 40 years – in the town of Halden in south-eastern Norway, conducting the local 1st Brigade Army Band.
