Fanfare
approx. duration 10 minutes
Instrumentation
Flute 1 & 2/Piccolo
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets in Bb and A
2 Bassoons
4 Horns in F
2 Trumpets in Bb
2 Tenor Trombones
Bass Trombone
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion (3 players):
Glockenspiel
Tubular Bells
Triangle
Tambourine
Suspended Cymbal
Crash Cymbals
Tam-tam
Bass Drum
Harp
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Cello
Bass
Notes
To celebrate its 95th birthday in 2023, the Spartanburg Philharmonic asked me to write an opening work for the first performance of that season. After a lengthy and challenging search, the concert was intended to celebrate the premiere of their new Music Director, John Young Shik Concklin. John has deep ties to the Spartanburg Philharmonic and had conducted the orchestra on a few prior occasions. In fact, he even served as their Principal Viola for a time before continuing his journey as a Music Director. The community was overjoyed to have him take the podium in the fall of 2023, and this piece is meant to reflect the excitement of the audience.
When beginning a new piece, I often turn to my older sketches and pieces that I wrote early in my career. These provide a great jumping-off point for me to arrange ideas I have carried with me for decades into something more complete; a musical experience that was always intended, but needed more time to grow into itself.
In 2016, I was asked to compose a (very) short fanfare to be played in the lobby before each Spartanburg Philharmonic concert. The purpose was to alert patrons that the show was about to start and to find their seats. Brief and to the point, this 11-measure bugle call for two trumpets was also derived from an earlier, unused sketch. After a season or so, the Philharmonic discontinued this practice (I’m not sure it was all that effective anyway), and the sheet music was shelved. But in 2023, it returned to the hall at Twichell, serving as the foundation for this new Fanfare for full orchestra.
Fanfare opens with a bold statement from the brass section featuring discordant tension and harmonic resolve: growth and strength. Following this brief introduction, the music shifts to a lighthearted, cheerful, and exuberant pace. As the name suggests, the piece is designed to showcase the power of the symphony, celebrating this wonderful new chapter in the orchestra’s lifetime. My hope is that listeners will be carried on a journey, finding joy, excitement, and maybe even a little hope. (And for those in the know, a few musical references inspired by John’s journey to the podium!)