Flourish for Winds and Percussion

Hey, wow, I haven't posted here in a long time.

This is a new piece for wind ensemble (with percussion). It's your basic concert band fast-slow-fast format, with most of it being based an "G-Bb-C" motif.

I tried to make the fast sections have a lot of movement and excitement, while keeping the slow section very straightforward and restrained.

I hope you all like it. Comments appreciated!

Here is a link to an MP3 version -- it does have a flaw, though, the tubular bells part is left out, and that part is critical in one place... so the result is silence for a second or two. Other than that it's a good MP3, made with a combination of GPO and other VST sounds.

MP3 VERSION

Flourish.MUS

Ha, it made me laugh. Take it as a compliment.

The ending kind of sounded cheesy, but at least it sounded like something, and not a total mess, right?

I think the whole piece could be expanded. Each movement longer. If anything the slow part needs to be longer, IMO. You did a good job building suspense for the third movement, I just think you could really push it a bit further.

I like the overall idea, and it was nicely written. Good use of percussion, IMO. You have some really "driving' parts in there. I like, i like.

I think what you have is great, and nothing needs to be changed, but I think expanding the overall idea would add quality to the piece ten fold.

ffffff wow. ;) Nice piece. I agree with trickshot that the piece could use expansion in some places but shortening in others. For example I think mm. 64-80 is too long. I recommend either adding more stuff to keep it more interesting to the lister or shorten this transition. I really like the melody and your use of percussion. Keep up the good work and I hope this helps.

P.S. I like the title

Very interesting piece.

There's not much use in my repeating any of the praise that has been given already. I enjoyed it.

If you permit me some criticism:

I find the initial idea, while appealing, treated in too limited a fashion. It's simply repeated. I don't know if you were working from expectations of limited player ability. Was this written specificially for a high school band, or other ensemble with which you perform?

That main theme could have been expanded upon.

Transitions, either from one tempo to another, or even simply in changes of orchestration during the "main theme" section, were a bit too blocky for my taste. I think the piece would have gained a bit more from avoiding going on the beat from one set of instruments to another. For example, you could carry through some reeds when brass come in, or carry through some brass when it returns to reeds.

The slow middle section seemed just a tiny bit lost in there. Momentum just stopped. A slow section doesn't mean that musical momentum must stop! particularly when you have something as heavily active as the preceding section.

A notation bug: slurs go from the 1st note of a tied set, to the LAST note of a tied set. Never slur a note AFTER a tie.

The ending, would have been considerably more effective if the main theme had not simply restarted right away at the tempo change. Imagine, if you would, the slow middle section, then the tempo picks up, but still with the slow material... and suddenly... oh glorious! the main theme returns as a final peroration to the ultimate cadence.

Hope a bit of this has helped. If you need any clarification I am always around.

Wow, thank you all for your criticism, it was really useful.

The ending borrows a lot from the ending of Jupiter by Holst, the rhythm nearly quotes it.

Again thanks so much.

(I didn't know that about slur markings, by the way, thanks for the example.)