Concert Band
Ballad for Benny
Grade 3 | 4 Mins
On 14th February 2001, my second son, Benjamin, was born. He has turned out to be a sheer delight and Ballad for Benjamin was written as a birthday present for him.
Opening gently, a short introduction leads to the main ballad theme, a gentle waltz melody played by clarinets and saxophones. This reaches a climax and leads to a bridge section which features passages in thirds on flutes, clarinets and alto saxophones. This again builds to a climax which reintroduces the main theme, this time played by the brass under a woodwind descant. This full-band presentation of the theme subsides to a short coda, based on the bridge passage, which ends the piece quietly.