anti-Fanfare

Why should the brass get to play all of the fanfares? Andrew Blair’s new work anti-Fanfare is a thrilling and unique concert opener for wind ensemble, minus brass, that allows your band to stand out, while the brass get to take a well-deserved break!

Program Notes

The inspiration for anti-Fanfare came during a lesson with Cynthia Johnston Turner where we were studying works for winds and percussion with atypical instrumentation. At the end of the lesson, we concluded that there was a gap in the repertoire for a short, exciting concert opener for woodwinds and percussion. I was particularly inspired by her “commission” that day: “You should write one, you know, an anti-fanfare.”

anti-Fanfare opens with a typical fanfare motive, but listeners will notice that the similarities end there. The piece employs the full complement of the woodwind and percussion sections plus piano in contrast to centuries of brass/orchestral fanfares. The typical stately cadence has been replaced by a quick 3/4 meter, with the language of the piece inspired by the composer’s forays into contemporary jazz fusion and electronica. The piece was premiered by the UGA Hodgson Wind Ensemble in January 2020 with the composer conducting.

Grade Level: 5
Copyright: 2020

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Instrumentation

Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe 1
Oboe 2
Bassoon 1
Bassoon 2
Contrabassoon
B-flat Clarinet 1
B-flat Clarinet 2
B-flat Clarinet 3
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet (optional)
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone 1
Alto Saxophone 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

Double Bass
Piano

Timpani (4 drums)
Keyboard Percussion 1: Crotales (2-oct.), Glockenspiel
Keyboard Percussion 2: Chimes, Vibraphone
Percussion 1: 18-20" Suspended Cymbal, 20+" China Cymbal, 4 Concert Toms, Sizzle Cymbal, Wind Chimes, 20+" Ride Cymbal, Hi-Hat, Splash Cymbal
Percussion 2: 18" Crash Cymbals, 6-8" Triangle, Mounted Tambourine
Percussion 3: Concert Bass Drum, Tam-Tam, Kick Drum, Triangle