Concert march in the tradition of Sousa but with some unexpected twists. Begins in a fiery, dramatic mood reminiscent of Kozhevnikov or Shostakovich, and ends with the connotation of a fun day at the fair. Also available for concert band and orchestra.
Brass Quintet | Grade 5 | 3:30
Performance materials available through:
About the piece
I wrote March the Eighteenth for brass quintet while studying at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. The inspiration for both the name and the form came from the occasion of the premiere: a trumpet recital on March 18th, 2012.
Likewise, the tongue-in-cheek title anticipates the nature of the piece: a clear homage to the classic march form perfected by Sousa and his contemporaries, but simultaneously a departure from tradition with its sardonic jabs and grand, symphonic gestures. The influence of Russian composers such as Kozhevnikov and Shostakovich can also be heard, especially throughout the first half of the piece. A final key objective in my process was to give each instrument a piece of the melody, including the horn and tuba, whose roles in a march are typically more rhythmic in nature.
Paul Cravens 