This piece was inspired by the composer watching his young son Benny playing ‘soldiers’ with his collection of teddy bears - how appropriate!But it made him think of the many character pieces which take the form of a ‘toy march’ the most notable examples being by Haydn Tchaikovsky and Leon Jessel. Parade of the Clockwork Soldiers is in the form of a ‘patrol’ (starting and ending quietly with a louder middle) and aims to represent a band marching past the listener. In fact where the hall layout permits it it could be possible to add a little choreography to the piece starting and ending with only a few instruments on stage.

for Band. Par ANDERSON LEROY. This work was written by Leroy Anderson in 1951 and premiered by him when he recorded it for Decca. Interestingly, in 1956 the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps of Rockford, Illinois changed their original name from the Rockford Rangers after having heard the piece played by a different corps. The music emulates the sound of distant trumpets and soldiers marching, drawing closer to the listener bit by bit. As the music gains strength, the marching and trumpets get louder and after passing the audience, it slowly fades away as they disappear into the distance again. This exclusive Southern band edition by Mark Rogers reintroduces Anderson's enchanting work to new generations of audiences. / Date parution : 2022-11-29/ Répertoire / Concert Band

The Wooden Soldier (Le soldat de bois) est une pièce courte et simple commandée par le Ministère singapourien de l?Education. Cette oeuvre a été initialement écrite comme pièce imposée pour le Festival de la Jeunesse se déroulant à Singapour en 2012. Comme de nombreuses formations scolaires présentent quelques lacunes au niveau de certains pupitres Jan van der Roost a été sollicité afin de composer une oeuvre qui pourrait également être jouée par une formation incomplète - ce qui explique le doublement de certaines parties et les voix optionnelles.Le petit soldat de bois qui anime cette composition musicale marche tout d?abord au coeur d?une parade fictive avantd?exécuter quelques pas d?une valse rapide. On retrouvera la même trame musicale dans les deux parties de l?oeuvre : les vivifiantes mesures ternaires de la valse sont en fait une variation du thème de la parade. Une alternance entre mode majeur et mineur ainsi qu?un certain nombre de rebondissements inattendus font de cette pièce une oeuvre captivante malgré les restrictions imposées.

A Gettysburg Remembrance-Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg this medley of Civil War-era tunes is cast in a unique and appealing setting for young bands. The Girl I Left Behind Me (tin whistles are optional) WhenJohnny Comes MarchingHome and the tender Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier express longing and hope for loved ones far away. In contrast Battle Cry of Freedom and Battle Hymn of the Republic inspire feelingsof patriotic resolve and courage. Arousingly effective work! (Grade 2.5) Dur: 5:10