Brass Band
Fiesta de la Vida – A Celebration of Life
Grade 4 | 8 Mins
Commissioned by the Golden State British Brass Band from California, Fiesta de la Vida was first performed by them on September 10th 2005 at the Fall Conference of the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association.
The work was designed as a celebration of the life of the band’s founding director John Swain, whose vitality and enthusiasm for music was a major factor in the formation and success of the GSBBB.
The Latin American mood of the piece is also a salute to the population of California, a state which many feel still clearly displays its Mexican roots. Though no folk music is used in the overture, the aim of the commission was to pay tribute to the memory of John Swain using the joy of music, which the Latin style exemplifies so well.