Concert Band

Salutation: Concert March

Grade 4 |5 Mins

Salutation was commissioned by Japanese conductor and broadcaster, Yutaka Nishida. He has been a friend of composer Philip Sparke for many years and wanted a new march to play at a party and concert which were held to celebrate Nishida’s 50-year involvement in music. The premiere took place in the Hotel Chinzanso, Tokyo, on August 20th 2017.

Salutation follows fairly conventional march form; a short fanfare introduces the main theme, played by clarinets and saxophones. A bridge passage, mainly on the brass, heralds a change of key and a legato second subject, again played initially by the clarinets, which leads to the conventional trio theme, which is then repeated on full band. Sections of the second subject lead back to the home key and a return of the main theme, embellished with woodwind figuration. A short brassy coda brings the work to a close.