Band concert band - Grade
3.5
SKU: KJ.GB861F
Composed by Stephen
Bulla. Score. Neil A.
Kjos Music Company
#GB861F. Published by
Neil A. Kjos Music
Company (KJ.GB861F).
With its
uncomplicated sostenuto
opening, Prelude to a
Festival initially sets a
serene and tranquil mood.
The upper winds and brass
present the opening theme
in a humble, yet stately
manner as the low
instruments lay a rich
harmonic foundation. The
percussion section enters
the picture at measure
22, changing the feeling
of the piece to one of
energy and exuberance.
Propelled by insistently
rhythmic figures in the
low winds and brasses,
the band builds several
layers on musical texture
upon one another,
exploring and developing
several new themes.
Always increasing the
momentum, the band
reaches the climax of the
piece at measure 83 with
full force. Here, the
major melodic and
rhythmic elements
converge, leading up to
the bombastic
compound-meter
conclusion.
