from Symphony No. 1 - The Lord of the Rings. Johan de Meij?s first symphony The Lord of the Rings is based on the trilogy of that name by J.R.R. Tolkien. This book has fascinated many millions of readers since its publication in 1955. The symphony consists of five separate movements, each illustrating a personage or an important episode from the book. This transcription for brass band, arranged by the composer has the following movements: I. GANDALF (The Wizard), IV. JOURNEY IN THE DARK (The Mines of Moria and The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm), V. HOBBITS. The symphony was written in the period between March 1984 and December 1987, and had its première in Brussels on 15th March 1988, performed by the The Royal Band of the Belgian Guides under the baton of Norbert Nozy. In 1989, the symphony The Lord of the Rings was awarded a first prize in the Sudler International Wind Band Composition Competition in Chicago, and a year later, the symphony was awarded a grant by the Dutch Composers Fund. In 2001, the orchestral version was premiered by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra.

Everest is the name of a restaurant on the 40th floor of a skyscraper in Chicago. In 2003 the composer Jacob de Haan had dinner there together with his publishers and other fellow composers. The idea of composing a march to honour the excellent cuisine the magnificent view of the skyline and the pleasant atmosphere in the restaurant arose during the visit. The results can be heard in this delightful and unusual work.

In imitation of the huge ‘House rage’ (at the end of the eighties) John Emerson Blackstone composed ‘House of Dance’ for youth orchestra. It proved to be a success. House owes its name to the place where this music was ‘developed’ i.e. an old night club called ‘The Warehouse’ in Chicago. Many subcultures followed. Whether you like the style or not one thing is certain: House music (also called Dance music) for many provides the basis for hours of fun on the dance floor.