Fanfare Band

Festissimo

Grade 4 | 5 Mins

Festissimo was commissioned by the fanfare band Muziekvereniging St. Caecilia, from Zwaag in north-west Holland, to celebrate their 95th anniversary in 2009. Composer Philip Sparke visited the band in November 2008 to run through the piece for the first time and the world premiere took place at the band’s anniversary concert on 21st March 2009.

 A celebratory overture, the piece opens with a majestic fanfare which reaches a climax and introduces the folk song, ‘De Knapzak’ (The Knapsack) which is very popular in the region. This leads to a lively vivo in ABA form, characterised by syncopated melodies over rhythmic ostinati, but the folk song returns in the form of an emphatic coda.