Band

The name of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is inextricably connected to the German city of Leipzig. This modest and very dutiful master composer worked like a diligent civil servant. From 1723 until his death in 1750, he was cantor of the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the Bach Festival takes place in this city every year. The hallmark of Leipzig is internationality: every year, soloists come from far and near to perform the baroque music again. The Bach Festival inspired the Dutch composer Henk Hogestein to write Memories of Leipzig, which is based on a theme from one of Bach's arias.

Merry-Go-Round is a mini concerto for band in which each section takes a turn as a soloist. On a merry-go-round the viewpoint is constantly changing, this being portrayed by different instrumental groups playing variations on the main theme, continually coming to the fore. This attractive work will bring all the excitement of the fairground to your concert.

For someone like Franco Cesarini, who was born and raised in a land where every horizon is dominated by the majestic Alps, mountains are in one's heart and soulevery moment of life. The true spirit of mountains is described in the words of Alan Hovhaness: Mountains are symbolic meeting places between the material and the spiritual world. It is a sentiment with which the composer fully agrees, which also helps explain the titles of succeeding episodes of the composition. These episodes alternate moments of reality, of matter, and with those of the ethereal, the spirit. Mountain Majestic is the fascinating final movement from the epic work Poema Alpestre, published separately in this edition for concert band. Breath a breath of fresh mountain air into your concert with this emotive work.

As the title suggests, this opening work consists of a fanfare and a hymn. This work was written for the opening ceremony of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf (Allgu, Germany) and can be played in four different versions depending on your needs or the players available. You can use a complete version, a short fanfare played just by trumpets (cornets), trombones and timpani, a double fanfare (extended with tutti-band) or a fanfare version followed by the hymn. Nordic Fanfare and Hymn is an extremely practical and versatile ceremonial opening piece.

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) is one of the most beloved American artists. Widley known for his cover illustrations of The Saturday Evening Post, he excelled at painting the lives of ordinary Americans with his warmth, detailed observations, and sense of humor. Composer Hayato Hirose was inspired by three of Rockwell's major works and expressed his own impressions of them in this music. This heart-warming piece will add an embracing and touching impression to a concert, lifting the spirits of the audience.