The War of Fantasia for Band

So some new news on this piece of music. I am having it reviewed right now by Alfred Publishing Company. The retired editor of band music, John O'Reilly reviewed my piece and gave me the address to send it in for publication! So I am excited! I also will be making my first commission on it within the next few weeks. I've put it up for sale on my website John Preston Dennis | Young Composer

Little history on this piece: It was finished upon graduation in May 2006. Since then it has had (3) known performances. About (5-10) bands own the piece. It currently being reviewed by Alfred Publishing Company for publication.

Please note***You will hear the piccolo go way out of tune at the end of its solo. Also, the first note in the clarinet solo in the middle Largo section is wrong. He played a B natural instead of a B flat. Other than that it is an awesome recording!

Here's a live recording:

Start Player

If you would only like to hear the Allegro section:

Start Player

****Finale file of score is enclosed as well for viewing!

****Comments will be much appreciated because there will more than likely be another performance of this piece in the near future.

The_War_of_Fantasia-CB-Legal.MUS

In the beginning i find that the two melodies clash abit to much, but when the big peak is reached, I find it nice with a little rit.

2:05, the harmony is, well not very good, the two flutes sound terrible toghther, but when the rest of the orchestra comes everything is back to normal, the same recognizable theme and the quite nice "call and response"

I likethe patrotic, war feeling you manage to build, nice usage of percussion.

And the ending, feels perfect, just as it should :P

Perfect song for a movie, and the seconds, with the trumpets, very nice "outro"

2:05, the harmony is, well not very good, the two flutes sound terrible toghther

Yes, that would be the intonation. The harmony is nice...it's just when the piccolo player went up to the C...it went way out of tune and the flute player didn't play the rhythm correctly.

Thanks for the other comments!

I am resurrecting this from the dead because I did not get enough reviews on it the first time I posted it. This is a serious work of mine. I spend years and years coming up with this. This is really my first original major work.

John,

I think this is an awesome piece. I've been trying to compose for Wind Ensemble and am currently working on it. Nice job. Being a low-brass player, I loved a lot of the Euphonium, Trombone, and Tuba parts. Great job.

Quick Question: What inspired you to come up with this piece?

Peace,

C. Winston:D

John,

I think this is an awesome piece. I've been trying to compose for Wind Ensemble and am currently working on it. Nice job. Being a low-brass player, I loved a lot of the Euphonium, Trombone, and Tuba parts. Great job.

Quick Question: What inspired you to come up with this piece?

Peace,

C. Winston:D

Well, I started coming up with it on the piano. I liked that chord progressions A minor, C major, D minor, A minor...the to F major. The music just kind of flows. I take a melody and use it over and over changing maybe just one note to change the variety. There's a main theme that presents itself over and over in different tempos, forms, and keys. I love doing this. It just comes...the music just comes. Once I have one idea, I can continue on to write a symphony piece. Lots of mental work, but the finish product is beautiful!:mellow:

I don't have much too say really except that I love this piece and it is beautiful =]

Great work... It's really good (I must say that I don't really like bands, but this one ;)) and I'd like to have it made by myself...

I like the calmness at the beginning, like the calm be4 the storm!

Keep doing pieces like this!

Well thanks for the comments.

I have some good and bad news. I got a letter back from Alfred and they loved the piece. He told me that I have some really beautiful orchestration and such. However, they couldn't publish it at this time. BUT he left me a huge page of notes and compliments and said it was evident I had put a lot of work into this piece. He also said to submit some more music!

Commenting as I listen, unfortunately cannot open the .mus file (right now).

Very soundtrack-ish music, it would fit very well in a movie...

The orchestration was very well handled...

Enjoyable transitions from one part to the other...

All thumbs up! This was great! I leave the player open so as to re-listen again on waking!

Wow, congratulations on the live performance!

Very much enjoyed the piece. Very well constructed; great arrangements and contrasting themes.

Michael

Well it truly has been a long time since I've heard the War of Fantasia .... and wow, what a change! :P

Well done on all your hard work - I see the strings have been dropped from the original version. But it sounds really cool. I hate writing for brass and wind mainly because I can't :) but you've pulled it off with style!

Well it truly has been a long time since I've heard the War of Fantasia .... and wow, what a change! :D

Well done on all your hard work - I see the strings have been dropped from the original version. But it sounds really cool. I hate writing for brass and wind mainly because I can't :P but you've pulled it off with style!

Yes! I have done some major improvements on this since you reviewed my orchestra version. I REALLY appreciate your help on the orchestra piece because I did eventually get the ORCHESTRA VERSION PERFORMED AND RECORDED thanks to you! You are so great man!

But it is better for concert band than orchestra. I'm working on a new orchestra piece right now. I'll let you take a look at it when I get some more work done on it. Let me know...I can e-mail you what I have if you like.

I still have your notes in my file. If I ever need them...;)

I like it alot.....any news from John?.....I would of given you my address also....oh well....mind if I play it in my band?....anyway going off topic, my AP (Advanced Placement) English Teacher is Joan O'Reiley....hahaha.....Good Piece....How did you record a live mp3

I like it alot.....any news from John?.....I would of given you my address also....oh well....mind if I play it in my band?....anyway going off topic, my AP (Advanced Placement) English Teacher is Joan O'Reiley....hahaha.....Good Piece....How did you record a live mp3

Yes, my piece was not accepted, but Alfred gave it good reviews.

And yes, of course your band can play it. You will have to purchase it just like any other piece. Your director can order it through my website: John Preston Dennis | Young Composer . $60.00 for a bound conductor's score, set of parts, and a CD.

This live recording was done at the Brevard Music Center summer institute and festival in Brevard, NC. It was a 7-week training camp in which I received several scholarships to attend. I got in by submitting a composition portfolio. The players on the CD are high school age kids! Fantastic talent.

I have incredibly exciting news!!!! Lovebird Music company is going to publish The War of Fantasia for Band!! *jumps up and down* I am working on getting everything aligned and ready for printing! I have also received the contract!

The company likes it so much that once I submit it, they hope to have it up on the website (Lovebird Music) within a week!

The great thing about this publishing company is that I keep my copyright! I give them the right to sell my piece. I do ALL of the editing and creating the parts...ready to print. (They do the artwork and designing for the cover and all that jazz...plus advertising..etc...) And I get 50% net profit!

Well, that's just great (but definitely worth it)! Congratulations!

Congratulations! :)

Michael

Wow. That is really amazing. This piece is very very good. And I love the atwork on the score. Congratulations.

Might I ask you how your piece is doing?

Very impressive work, I like the instrumentation for the most part, although I think the section at 1:30 to 1:48 with the picollo doubling the brass seems out of place. I think it works perfectly in the section right after 1:50, with the solo, but the doubling of the flute and brass I feel takes away from what you are trying to acheive. I think it would be even more War like, which I'm assuming you want, if you leave out the picollo doubling at that area. In my opinion, the picollo is a great solo instrument but to use it for doubling as you do I think takes away from the special quality of the piccolo.. but thats just me. Also keep in mind, it is easier to tire from high pitch wood wind instruments then string instrumnts for example which are less Penetrating on the ear. (meaning the listener can appreciate certain instruments longer than others) My highschool band would do good to learn a piece like this instead of playing cliche works like phantom of the opera.. excuse me for saying this but I just can't stand that piece! ok sorry for ranting on about that, but let me say I loved your work! keep it up.

Alfred declined... hmm... Why don't you publish on your own account? I know a lot of (concert) bands in the Netherlands and Spain that would love to play this music, if only they knew it existed and where to get a copy. It's a style that is highly popular at the moment!

(ok.. being related to MyScoreStore.com I'm biased... but try uploading/publishing it there, define your own pricing (keep 80% of the revenue!), and see where in the world people will start using it!)