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 – actually more than 40 years – in the south-eastern town of Halden, Norway, conducting the local military band, the 1st Brigade 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 to honour the Norwegian coat of arms upon the country’s independence in 1905), and Norwegian Gymnastics March (Norsk turnermarsj, 1886).
Borg composed for his own reduced band. The two royal marches as presented here were subsequently re-orchestrated for full band and published by Bjarne Th. Larssen, probably in the 1950s. They have now been revised to meet the requirements of modern concert bands.
The sound clip above is generated from sampled sounds (AI).
Descriptions and transcription are not AI generated.
Set contains one score and one copy of each part, as download or on paper. Copying allowed by acquiring 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 – actually more than 40 years – in the south-eastern town of Halden, Norway, conducting the local military band, the 1st Brigade Band.
