Remount
Music for Vocal Soloist, Music for Wind Band,

Remount

InstrumentationWind Orchestra & Tenor Voice
Grade5½
Duration15 minutes
PublisherJanssen Music
Demo Score→ Download
Remount (Full Midi)

Remount is based on the eponymous story of James D. Newton, about the impressive experiences as a soldier during Word War 2.

Remount is an old cavalry term. The noun describes a “fresh horse”. The intransitive verb means “to mount again”. And mount again is the story as recalled by James D. Newton after all these years.

This work was commissioned by “Koninklijke Oude Harmonie van Eijsden (NL)” – for celebrating 75 years of liberation after World War 2 and it is dedicated to the heroes who liberated us.

The work consists of five parts:

  1. Yesterday, 1944 – ‘Move out!’
  2. Die graue Tagen und lange Nachten – Fall Campaign
  3. The Bulge – ‘Remount’
  4. Fiddlers’ Green – the cavalry poem
  5. The day after yesterday, 1945 – ‘Dismount’ – Liberty

→ Fiddlers’ Green (part 4) is based on the cavalry poem.

Fiddlers’ Green

Halfway down the trail to Hell,
In a shady meadow green
Are the Souls of all dead Troopers camped,
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddlers’ Green.

Marching past, straight through to Hell
The Infantry are seen
Accompanied by the Engineers, Artillery and Marines,
For none but the shades of Cavalrymen
Dismount at Fiddler’s Green.

Though some go curving down the trail 
To seek a warmer scene.
No Trooper ever gets to Hell
Ere he’s emptied his canteen.
And so rides back to drink again
With friends at Fiddlers’ Green.

Highlights from the world premiere by “Koninklijke Oude Harmonie” Eijsden (NL)
Jacques Claessens, conductor – Pascal Pittie, tenor
Festmusik des LBO
Music for Wind Band,

Festmusik des LBO

40 Jahre Landesblasorchester Baden-Württemberg

Live Recording World First Performance

Festmusik des LBO is a festive overture in which the new logo of the Landesblasorchester Baden-Württemberg is explained in musical way in three parts without intermission.

The overture starts as a surprise, just walking into the beautiful land of Baden-Württemberg, a partial republic of Germany. Standing for Movement and Rhythm.

The main theme a proud, passioned theme – its all about the people working at LBO – starts and flows into the second theme based on the typical opening of the song Loblied der Badener. The use of many different pitches and scales are a metaphor for Highs and Lows.

After this another folksong of Baden-Württemberg is integrated, the more lyric Hohenzollernlied. The use of both of these folk-themes are standing for Name, Values and Home.

In the second part both folksongs are used in the thematic material. In this part the music is build up into a passioned and majestic climax. All the Emotions and Passion reach their maximum of musical perception.

In the third part all thematic material is re-used in a fugatic way finding their way, everything combining, into a virtuous coda – just as the new logo is doing into one picture.

Of course the title of the overture is referring to the jubilee of 40 years of this great orchestra; Landesblasorchester Baden-Württemberg (LBO).

This piece was the winning composition of the composition contest Logo in Sound as held by the Landesblasorchester Baden-Württemberg (2018)

Publisher: Janssen Music

Demoscore:

Festmusik des LBO – DEMODownload

Four Times of the Day
Music for Ensemble,

Four Times of the Day

… is freely inspired by the four paintings with the same title by Claude-Joseph Vernet. He was was considered the leading French artist of his time in his genre, marine art and landscape painting.

The four times of the day are all signed and dated 1750 and they belong to the Musee de la Marine Palais de Chaillot, Paris.

The first depiction is entitled Morning. The painting shows a misty morning scene with fishermen with his boat. The second painting, entitled Midday depicts a sudden, unexpected storm. The painting Evening shows women bathing and washing their clothes. The final scene shows a rocky inlet, with fishermen drying their nets while others are gathered round a fire.

The scenes depicted in these four paintings were Vernet’s favourite scenes that he painted in different settings throughout his career. The music simply follows the scenes in a illustrative way with a special attention for the beautiful details of this paintings.

For Double Wind Quintet.

Publisher: Janssen Music

Demo Score:

Four Times of the Day – DEMO ScoreDownload
Il Giubileo d’ Argento
Music for Fanfare Band,

Il Giubileo d’ Argento

Overture for Fanfare band.

“Il Giubileo d’ Argento” (the silvern jubilee) was commissioned by “Fanfare St. Willibrordus Stramproy” on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of their conductor René Schrader.

With this overture, in three consecutive parts, the musical well-being of Fanfare St. Willibrordus is illustrated.

The first part has the Spanish influences, referring to the trip to Valencia, which is a clear highlight in the history of the fanfare band.
The second part is a kind of melancholic look back, with some funny elements in it, to accentuate conductor René Schrader.
And the third part is with the fugatic structure a kind of looking back at the many rehearsals that have also led to the various highlights.

Publisher: Janssen Music

Full Recording: Recorded (during rehearsal) by Fanfare St. Willibrordus Stramproy, conducted by Bart Partouns 

Demo score

Il Giubileo d’ArgentoDownload

Pasión por la Música
Music for Fanfare Band, Music for Wind Band,

Pasión por la Música

InstrumentationWind Band
Fanfare Band
Grade4
Duration6 minutes
PublisherJanssen Music
Demo Score
(Wind Band)		→ Download
Demo Score
(Fanfare Band)		→ Download

Pasodoble de concierto.

A concert pasodoble. Composed for anyone who loves music and my Spanish friends in particular.

Version for Windband:

Version for Fanfare Band:

Up-Hill
Music for Orchestra, Music for Vocal Soloist,

Up-Hill

A song for soprano and orchestra freely after the poem by Christina Rosetti:

Does the road wind up-hill all the way?
Yes, to the very end.
Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?
From morn to night, my friend.

But is there for the night a resting-place?
A roof for when the slow dark hours begin.
May not the darkness hide it from my face?
You cannot miss that inn.

Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?
Those who have gone before.
Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?
They will not keep you standing at that door.

Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?
Of labour you shall find the sum.
Will there be beds for me and all who seek?
Yea, beds for all who come.

Publisher: Janssen Music

Demo score: → Up-Hill – Soprano

Mythical Creature(s)
Music for Instrumental Soloist, Music for Wind Band,

Mythical Creature(s)

Instrumentation:

Grade:

Duration:

Publisher:

Demo score:

Solo horn part:

Horn & Wind band

5

12 minutes

Janssen Music

Download
Download

Live Performance registration by “Royal wind band “de Kunstvrienden’ of St. Niklaas (B) – Peter Snellinckx, conductor – Eline Van den Broeck, solo horn

Concerto for Horn and Wind band.

In the Chinese mythology there are four heavenly animals.

  • The Chinese Dragon
  • The Phoenix
  • The Turtle
  • Ki-Lin (unicorn)

In this concerto for horn all of these heavenly animals are presented. The hornist is a kind of storyteller and evaluates to a mythical creature as well. The concerto contains four movements:

1. The Chinese Dragon – (Long)

The Chinese dragon is one of the four heavenly animals and would also be the founder of the Imperial Family.

Dragon Queens provides rain, rivers, lakes and seas. They represent wisdom, strength and goodness. An angry Long Wang causes storm, fog and earthquakes. He protects fishermen and watercourse, but punishes wasters of water. One of them is Pan Long, it lives in the ocean. It seems to be the seahorse we all know today.

2. The Phoenix – (Feng Huang)

His song would be the source of the Chinese scale. Feng Huang lives with Ki-Lin (see also 4th movement) in the Hills of Vermilion. Only in peaceful times, or when a great wise or good emperor is born, the Feng Huang leaves the Land of Immortals to announce prosperity, accompanied by many other birds who honour him as the most beautiful.

3. The Turtle – (Wugui)

The Turtle is one of the animals who was involved in the origin of the earth. It is seen as an oracle.

4. The Unicorn – (Ki Lin)

The unicorn is an animal with male (Ki) and female (Lin) powers. It’s voice is like a church bell. It was born in the heart of the earth and lives behind the clouds. It appears only to announce important events or births. (Just like Feng Huang (2nd movement)).