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The Year of the Dragon (music)

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The Year of the Dragon is a musical composition by Philip Sparke originally written for the internationally acclaimed and awarded [1] Cory Band's Centenary Celebrations held at St. David’s Hall in Cardiff on March 1984. The compsition has since made a regular appearance worldwide as a test piece for brass band competitions. [2]

Background

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The Cory Band, with the aid of funds provided by the Welsh Arts Council, had commissioned Philip Sparke to write a work for their centenary concert in celebration of being the very first ever Welsh band to win the European Brass Band Champions in 1980. [3]. The title The Year of the Dragon is in reference to the red dragon as the national emblem for Wales.

At the time I wrote The Year of the Dragon, Cory had won two successive National Finals and I set out to write a virtuoso piece to display the talents of this remarkable band to the full.

— Philip Sparke, Composer's Notes

Philip Sarke transcribed The Year of the Dragon for wind band a year after its premeire in 1985.[4] He also then wrote a new wind band edition in 2017, commissioned by the Siena Wind Orchestra, which he himself premiered on June 17th 2017 at Bunkyo Civic Hall, Tokyo with the orchestra. [5]

There are many rhythms and chord progressions throughout the piece that would suggest a slight jazz influence, mostly in the style of George Gershwin.

Structure

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The Year of the Dragon is written in three movements: Toccata, Interlude, and Finale. [6] Approximate perfomance time is thirteen minutes 13'00".

Toccata

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The first movement starts with a sudden drum roll solo, which is then followed by a low, ominous motif. This is repeated until the rest of the winds join in, introducing the first melodic theme in the piece. This is intermitted by a dance-like section. The rest of the band then re-enters the fray, leading into a brief chorale section before going back into the dance. This continues until the movement fades out with the final faint echoes of the opening melody.

Interlude

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This movement is largely a sorrowful, delicate trombone solo. A slightly more joyful chorale offers a brief exit from the melancholic setting, before the solo returns to bring the movement to a hushed close. This solo is often played in a rubato form, allowing the soloist to slow down or speed up for virtuosic effect.

Finale

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The final movement of this piece begins with a fast feature with occasional outbursts in the background. Following this is a march-like section with playful strains planted throughout. The main theme is then reiterated with more triumphal sounding excerpts played by the horns. The bells are given a fanfare to play as the winds crescendo to a final climax and ending the piece with a fast-paced, rousing conclusion..

Instrumentation

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Brass Band

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Concert Band

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  • Piccolo
  • Flute I, II
  • Oboe I, II
  • English Horn
  • Bassoon I, II
  • Double Bassoon
  • E♭ Clarinet
  • B♭ Clarinet I, II, III
  • E♭ Alto Clarinet
  • B♭ Bass Clarinet
  • B♭ Contrabass Clarinet
  • B♭ Soprano Saxophone
  • E♭ Alto Saxophone I, II
  • E♭ Alto Saxophone I, II
  • B♭ Tenor Saxophone
  • E♭ Baritone Saxophone
  • B♭ Cornet I, II, III
  • B♭ Trumpet I, II
  • F Horn I, II, III, IV
  • Trombone I, II, III
  • Euphonium
  • Tuba
  • Double Bass
  • Timpani
  • Percussion (Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Tubular Bells, Crash Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal, Bells, Xylophone, Tambourine, Tam-Tam, Triangle, Wood Block)

References

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  1. ^ "The Cory Band Nominated for Culture award". Llywodraeth Cymru Welsh Government. 13 September 2017.
  2. ^ "Test Piece: The Year of the Dragon". Brass Band Results.
  3. ^ "The Cory Band". Welsh Proms Cymru.
  4. ^ "The Year of the Dragon". philipsparke.com.
  5. ^ "The Year of the Dragon ‐ 2017 Edition". philipsparke.com.
  6. ^ Burns, Alex (26 September 2021). "Philip Sparke The Year of the Dragon: A Tour-De-Force for Band".
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