Par VAN DER ROOST JAN. Jan Van der Roost originally composed each and every note of ‘Slavia’ (as in case in ‘Puszta’, ‘Rikudim’ and ‘A Highland Rhapsody’). Consequently, ‘Slavia’ does not contain any arrangement of existing tunes, but is an original composition ‘in the style of…’. The introduction has an ABA structure and exposes a broad melodic line. Following a short cadenza, there is a second movement in a fast and fiery tempo. The tempi increase, gradually culminating in an exciting final climax, making this ‘Slavonic Rhapsody’ a spell-binding experience to the very last note. / Niveau : 4 / Pièce de concert / Répertoire / Fanfare

Par VAN DER ROOST JAN. This 4-movement suite is based on authentic folktunes from the beautiful southern province in France: the 'Provence'. The composer used an harmonic language respecting the popular characteristics, but on the other hand also contains some 'spicy' notes (. . . just like the wellknown 'Provençal sauce'! . . . ). The instrumentation is very colourful, paying a lot of attention to the different timbres of both brass and wood winds as well as to the percussion section. Every movement has its own character: 'Un Ange a fa la crido' (= An angel brought the creed / credo) is like a bourrée, 'Adam e sa Coumpagnou' (= Adam and his companion) is an old love song, 'Lou Fustié' (= the carpenter)a fast dance and finally 'Lis Escoubo' (= a whistle tune / popular ballad) is a farandole. In the latter, the old tradition of folk musicians who play a whistle with one hand and a drum with the other hand, is clearly represented during the first presentations of the one and only theme)Although this piece is not too demanding, a well balanced band is necessary to perform it successfully. Thanks to the contrasts and the varying colours, it keeps on holding the attention. / Niveau : 3 / Répertoire / Fanfare

Par CURNOW JAMES. À partir de 776 avant J. -C. et pendant plus d’un millénaire, les Jeux Olympiques antiques ont eu lieu dans le site sacré d’Olympie en Grèce. L’année 1896 voit la renaissance de l’olympisme. Le baron Pierre de Coubertin organise les premiers Jeux modernes à Athènes. En 1996, Atlanta célèbre avec faste le centenaire des Jeux. James Curnow compose à la demande du Comité Olympique d’Atlanta cette oeuvre brillante, idéale pour débuter un concert. / Niveau : 4 / Ouverture / Répertoire / Fanfare

Par VAN DER ROOST JAN. Singapura Suite was commissioned by Singapore's Ministry of Education Extracurricular Activities Branch to serve as a compulsory piece for the 1999 Singapore Youth Festival. 'Singapura' is the original name of Singapore in Malay, the native language there. Because Singapore is one of the most important harbors in the world, this two-piece work opens with a seaman's dance. An authentic melody, Chan Mali Chan, is woven into the middle of this first part, whose ABA form becomes clear through the recapitulation of the seaman's dance in a somewhat altered form. Singapore is also a dynamic city-state alive with excitement, thus the second part begins with a fitting dance, a fastbourrée. As contrast there is a second authentic melody, Dayung Sampan, a more easygoing sailing song. This short but curious suite ends in high spirits with a recapitulation of the beginning. / Niveau : 2.5 / Pièce de concert / Répertoire / Fanfare