The word ‘tsunami’ is of Japanese origin. When you look it up in a dictionary you will find that it means ‘a great sea wave produced by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption’. A megatsunami is the superlative of this awesome expressionof power that nature can create and has catastrophic consequences. When Carl Wittrock completed this composition not many such big earth movements had occurred but since then we have become all too familiar with the disastrousconsequences which a tsunami may have. On the 26th of December 2004 a heavy seaquake took place near the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Tidal waves 10 meters in height ravaged the coastal regions of many countries for miles around. The tsunamitook the lives of thousands of people and destroyed many villages and towns. There are more areas which run the risk of being struck by a tsunami such as the island of La Palma one of the Canary Islands. This island is based on oceaniccrust at a fracture zone and as such is one of nature’s time bombs. The consequences of a natural calamity like a megatsunami are immense. In the case of La Palma the tidal wave will move in the direction of South America where it may reach 50km inland destroying everything on its way. In his composition Wittrock describes an ordinary day which will have an unexpected ending. Right from the beginning there seems to be something in the air the music creating an oppressiveatmosphere of impending disaster. Themes are interrupted broken off suddenly followed by silence suggesting the calm before the storm. Suddenly a short climax (glissandi in the trombone part) indicates the seaquake and the megatsunami isa fact. Hereafter follows a turbulent passage symbolising the huge rolling waves. After nature’s force has spent itself resignation sets in and the composition ends with a majestic ode to nature.

The Odyssee tells the story of Odysseus the undaunted hero. In times long ago the blind poet Homer wrote this famous epic. The 'Odyssey' follows the 'Iliad' the story of the bloody war between the Greek and the Trojans. This battle endsafter ten years thanks to the Odysseys famous trick. the Trojan Horse. The Odyssey is not a war epic but a story about perseverance loyalty adventure and the survival instinct of its ingenious hero. In The Odyssey Homer describes howOdysseus the king of Ithaca had to endure another ten years of affliction after the ten years of war in Troy before he could finally return to his home land. During those years his wife Penelope had to try and keep her many admirers away.These men not only wanted het hand but also the kingship. To prove her husbands worth she played a trick: 'As soon as I have finished weaving this shroud for my father-in-law Laertes I will choose one of you to become my husband' she promisedthem. But during the night she secretly loosened what she had woven during the day prolonging the time until Odysseus would finally return. After twenty long years when he finally stood at the door she wondered: Is this really my husband? Ishe an imposter? Cunningly she asked him to move the bed because only she and her husband know that the bed was immovable and was build around an old three trunk! Odysseus was deeply moved: this really was his wife his Penelope! Nearly threethousands years later the loyalty and strength of this character and all the dangerous adventures that Odysseus survived thanks to courage and intelligence still moves us today. Odyssee by Jan Bosveld is not just an adventure story butrather a characteristic piece in which memories of Homers story can be heard. The composition opens with a firm stirring theme describing our hero Odysseus in detail: This man is not to be taken lightly. The further development of thisshort introduction completes this character sketch: trustworthy perseverant and a genius. After that we can picture Odysseus on the lonely beach of Ogygia. Do the trumpets depict his memories of the war of Troy? Does he think of his wife as werecognise the weaving loom of Penelope in the murmuring eighth? In the solemn plaintive part that follows we can imagine Penelope feeling lonely sitting in the womens room with her servants.One of the girls plays the harp but that does notclear the sombre atmosphere. Then we can imagine seeing the sorceress Circe who changed Odysseus men into swine. After she gives a simple magic sign something follows that reminds us of the sound of pigs grunting. Then the Odysseus theme resounds:the hero comes to savi his comrades. Assisted by Hermes he forces Circe to lift the spell. The piece ends the same way as it began with an animated theme: Odysseus is still the same undefeated and not to be taken lighty!

Renowned Belgian composer Kevin Houben composed ?Ride? for the ?Fanfare ?Bereden Wapens??. This orchestra originated after drastic reorganisations and cutbacks within Defense in 2011 and 2012, including in the military music armed forces. The thought behind the composition ?Ride? is the signal ?forward?. The signal ?Forward? is part of a military memorial ceremony, as the sign to close off a sad or dark period, and to go on with renewed force. ?Ride? is also a command for horses to go forward. Appropriate, as the ?Fanfare ?Bereden Wapens??, part of the regiment Huzaren van Boreel, is part of the Cavalry. When the Fanfarekorps Koninklijke Landmacht ?Bereden Wapens? was abrogated, this was an extremely sad and radical moment for the orchestra members. The ?Fanfare ?Bereden Wapens?? announces the dawn of a new period and picks up again with an effervescent and splashing composition: ?Ride?.

A majestic opening which gets a thoroughly sparkling musical follow-up captivating ensemble and a very well-known hymn are the ingredients of Keep me praising by Andrew Mackareth from the English town of Nuneaton. His music sets itself apart through it scintillating vitality and spontanity. His feeling for style and melody makes this flashing work into a beautifully balanced composition which will undoubtedly find its way into the concert-stage. Influences from both jazz and rock furthermore make it an absolute hit. Een majestueuze opening een spetterend vervolg bekende hymnes en technische uitdaging zijn de ingrediënten van Keep me Praising. De muziek van AndrewMackereth uit het Engelse Nuneaton kenmerkt zich door veelzijdigheid. Gebaseerd op Sing Hosanna en Praise my soul. Een aanrader!

Dit werk werd gecomponeerd voor de fanfare St.Cecilia uit Schimmert. Zeer verschillende muzikale gegevens wisselen elkaar af. Zo wordt de signaal-achtige opening gevolgd door een brede statische passage met wegstervende akkoorden.In het vervolg komen een aantal grillige figuren voor die op speelse wijze zijn uitgewerkt.Er zijn virtuoze passages voor de saxofoons en de bassen. Dit werk werd gecomponeerd voor de fanfare St.Cecilia uit Schimmert. Zeer verschillende muzikale gegevens wisselen elkaar af. Zo wordt de signaal-achtige opening gevolgd door een brede statische passage met wegstervende akkoorden.In het vervolg komen een aantal grillige figuren voor die op speelse wijze zijn uitgewerkt.Er zijn virtuoze passages voor de saxofoons en de bassen.

David Well composed 'Frida's Whiskers' in commemoration of his own cat who met an untimely end. Frida (whose real name was 'Godefrida van Coopersburg thoe Nieuwenhuys') was a lively creature who led a playful and uncomplicated life. She used to sleep in her basket for hours but when she woke up she upset the entire house and its furnishing. Curtains were inspected from top to bottom and flower pots fell from window-sills just like that! Outside in the open air she was in her element. She used to frolic bouncing into the air. After such playful moods she would return to her basket tired but satisfied where being the cleanly cat that shewas she subjected her entire body whiskers included to a thorough wash.

The composition ".The Fever Tree". in 2008 was commissioned by the Music Association of Central and Eastern Netherlands St.Willibrord as a gift to all its members on the occasion of the formation of a national music organization and the elimination of the music union for Central and Eastern Netherlands St.Willibrord. The fever tree is a controversial legend about St. Willibrord (658-739). The daughter of a pagan chieftain of Hoemannen that made the area around Heumen unsafe was seriously ill. They feared for her life. The chief of the gang turned to predatory Willibrord who same time in this region led mission. Willibrord commanded theman to repent and a headband of the girl to a certain special tree to hang. The desperate captain obeyed and his daughter was a miraculous heal. Then came the anger of the Hoemannen against their leader who in their eyes had committed treason by the group to convert. They abused themselves to him and killed him brutally. The daughter remained behind in great sorrow comforted by Willibrord. The composition has the following scenes: - Andante moderato - the calling of Willibrord - Allegro moderato - Willibrord passes through the province of Brabant and try to people to repent - Vivace - Hoemannen terrorize the inhabitants of the area Heumen - Andante - the healing of the sick girl and the conversion of the centurion - Inquieto - the revenge of the Hoemannen - Adagio - elegy on the death of the chief

This hymn was commissioned by ?Antwerpen 93?. And this city on the banks of the river Schelde has been nominated ?Cultural Capital of Europe? for 1993. The work-group ?animatie? took the initiative and commissioned a hymn which -as the finale to a grand open-air event on 27th March- was premièred by hundreds of musicians from all over Europe. Philippe Langlet (France) was the conductor at this majestic occasion.Musically speaking the piece can no doubt be labeled easy. Indeed it is meant to represent a hymn playable by all in different instrumental combinations. Consequently a variable instrumentation was chosen and a type of music which by native is easily accessible anduncomplicated.The conductor is free -in the instrumentation- to score this piece according to his own taste. It is perhaps advisable to use the sharp brass in the forte parts in order to make the range in the sound of the orchestra as colouful as possible. The percussion parts are not absolutely essential so that the hymn can also be performed without percussion.