Concert Band

Songs and Dances

Grade 5

Songs and Dances was commissioned by Stadtkapelle Wernau, from southern Germany, to celebrate their 100th Anniversary. They gave the premiere on April 10th 2022 in the town’s ‘Quadrium’.

The brief for the commission was for a suitably festive and energetic piece, which could possibly used at a high level in competition, with an emphasis on music with a rhythmic, dance-like quality. A fast-slow-fast form was agreed upon and the work is therefore in three continuous movements (dance-song-dance).

The first movement uses material that is highly syncopated for its main themes, contrasting with a smoother, central chorale starting on the low brass. This leads to a second movement opening with a solo cadenza for clarinet and a hymn-like tune for the woodwinds. An agitated central section builds to a climax, which subsides to reintroduce the solo clarinet the close the movement. The third movement opens vivaciously and with great energy until the main theme is established on clarinets and saxophones. A highly syncopated second subject then emerges, leading to another chorale, featuring the horns. The opening mood sweeps this aside, but the chorale returns triumphally to close the work.