A Festival Prelude - HL00006781 | Musica

"A Festival Prelude" was written in commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Tri-State Music Festival, held annually in Enid, Oklahoma. It was given its first performance on that occasion by the Phillips University Concert Band, to whom it is dedicated, with the composer conducting. While still in manuscript, it was widely performed throughout the country, and has come to be regarded as one of this composer's most brilliant an powerful works for the modern concert band.

The music is built up entirely from one main theme and two fanfare-like figures that occur throughout the score. After an opening flourish develop from the first of these fanfare phrases, the main theme is presented in a sweeping unison by the Woodwinds, Saxophones and Cornets, with Brass interjections. This leads to the second of the fanfare figures, which builds up to another statement of the main theme by the full band. After a powerful climax, the main theme is once again stated, this time by a richly melodic texture of Woodwinds, Horns and Saxophones in a quiet, legato variation, in contrast to what has gone before. The second fanfare figure resumes, an, after building up to another climax, the main theme is presented as a processional march, with the first fanfare as a contrapunctal accompaniment. The close is a final statement of the main theme, developed in massive Brass chords to a thundering conclusion.

The scoring of this work embraces the modern conception of the integrated symphonic wind band, with fully balanced instrumentation and the separation of the Brass into three distinct tone color groups:
the Horns, the Trumpet-Trombone group and the Cornet-Baritone-Tuba group. The woodwind writing is centered around the balanced Clarinet Choir and doublings are conceived as carefully as in symphonic orchestras.