Brass Band

The Centurion 

Grade 3 | 4 Mins

The Centurion was commissioned in 1988 by the KM (Gillingham) Brass Band from Kent, England to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The new, revised version was made in 2000.

Lively and up-beat in nature, The Centurion follows conventional British march format, the main theme emerging on a solo cornet after a short, syncopated introduction from the full band. After a bridge passage where the whole band plays in unison, a short repeated section with a euphonium counter melody leads to the ‘bass’ strain, an essential ingredient in any march of this type! A change of key heralds the trio where a legato, but still rhythmic melody is played by the euphoniums and baritones accompanied by off-beat horns and bell effects from muted cornets and glockenspiel. Eventually the whole band triumphantly takes up this theme before the opening material of the march is recapitulated.