Concert Band

Dance of the Whale was commissioned by the Spanish music foundation, Musica et Orbi, at the instigation of its president, Frank De Vuyst. It is part of a unique project which involved nine composers each writing a short movement, describing an animal of the composers’ choice, to form a suite called Bestiarium. A consortium of bands around the world helped to fund the project and the world premiere of the suite took place in March 2013 in Medellín, Colombia. Further premieres by partaking bands took place in the USA, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Italy, France, Great Britain, Singapore and Argentina.

Dance of the Whale uses the tenor instruments of the band to describe a lazy and graceful dance by a blue whale and is dedicated to endangered species around the world.

The nine movements of the suite, Bestiarium, are:

1) Tropical Fish, A Deep Blue Adventure - Bert Appermont

2) Dance of the Whale, A Ballet for the Endangered Species - Philip Sparke

3) Tyrannosaurus Rex - Ferrer Ferran

4) The Snail - Jan Van der Roost

5) The Kangaroo - Kevin Houben

6) Apes - Robert W. Smith

7) Woodworm - Victoriano Valencia

8) Charlie, the Chameleon - Lius Serrano Alarcón

9) The Fly - Oscar Navarro