Under the Big Top - Concert Band

Under the Big Top sprang from a seed that was collectively planted by countless numbers of band directors who over the years have asked me if I would consider composing a march for their young band. The idea of creating an easy concert march remained on my radar for many years, finally coming to fruition this past February in response to a commission offer.

Under the Big Top evokes images of a three-ring circus with its simultaneous events occuring under a single big top. The first section suggests the joy and anticipation felt by the audience as they view the entrance of the entertainers, animals, and clowns. A lyrical trio section featuring the single reeds and horns suggests the grace of a trapeze artist gliding above. Suddenly, a more feisty section (in march terminology, it's the "dogfight section") suggests something more assertive and risky, such as a mid-air somersault or a mock skirmish between two clowns. This section yields to the climactic closing section in which the brasses are asked to stand up while playing a fanfare obbligato in counterpoint with the lyrical theme.

In composing the march, I consciously challenged myself to rely solely on simple rhythms - half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes (no sixteenth notes except in the snare drum part) - and instrumental ranges that are playable by the average middle school player.