On the advice of the Repertoire Information Center (RIC) selection committee, the ONFK board announces the five compulsory works for the five divisions of the Open Dutch Fanfare Championships. These will be held on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 April 2023 in schouwburg De Lawei in Drachten.
Thom Zigterman wrote Istrian Pictures following a vacation in Istria, a popular destination in Croatia.
His musical sketches begin in a part called Hum, which according to official sources is the smallest town in the world with real city rights. The music is rhythmic and has an infectious drive to it. The Beauty of Brijuni describes the atmospheric park-like landscape in the Adriatic Sea just off the coast of Istria in a poetic ballad. The last part describes the inclement fall wind “Bura” that in winter makes Istria's climate less pleasant. Its unpredictability, speed and capriciousness are audibly present in this part.
The work Island Treasures was previously designated as a compulsory work for the fifth division. In terms of difficulty, however, it did not suit the brass bands in that division. The committee unanimously chose to give this work a new and fair chance in the fourth division. The colorful and culturally rich Wadden Island of Terschelling is the source of inspiration for Jan Bosveld's composition Island Treasures. In five parts, the composer takes us to characteristic places on and customs of the island of Terschelling. The arrival in the harbor, a storm, a traditional folk festival, a ride with covered wagons and as the most important eye-catcher the now 400 year old Brandaris give us a rich musical image of Terschelling.
'Where Earth and Sky meet' was written on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of C.M.V. Burdine from Sint Annaparochie(FR). The work contains several themes closely related to the association. One of the themes is connection, because the association emerged from a merger of two associations, namely “Soli Deo Gloria” and “Excelsior” from Sint Annaparochie and Vrouwenparochie. The subject of connection is translated musically by the 'clashing' of together sounds and rhythms and also their contrast: their fusion. Another theme stems from the association's environment, Het Bildt, created from clay, water and the sea. Among other things, the title refers to this beautiful vast landscape, the vistas and the horizon. The Christian identity of the association, is presented in the work through the chorale “Angelus,” known to many as chorale No. 3 from the “120 hymns for band.
Leon Vliex's latest composition deals with the history of the village of Bergschenhoek and in particular De Leeuwenkuil, which is now a recreational area. The area originated from a large peat excavation in the middle of Bergschenhoek. In the 1970s, 6000-year-old remains of a hunting and fishing camp were excavated near the small river Rotte. The early inhabitants lived by hunting and fishing. Since ancient times, a thick layer of peat has developed in this area. In the early Middle Ages, some 5,000 years later, that peat layer was as much as 7 to 8 meters thick. The Counts of Holland granted the growing population the right to mine this peatland. The black, soggy gold provided unprecedented prosperity in the Hook's Golden Age when the peat was excavated to serve as peat for the emerging cities. The composition of De Leeuwenkuil was commissioned by the brass band Concordia Bergschenhoek on the occasion of its 80th anniversary and was made possible in part by the Fonds Podiumkunsten. The piece consists of four parts, is optimistic in character and describes the Leeuwenkuil as it is today with a nod to the past.
World of Wizards is a composition within the collaboration Fanfarissimo in which several orchestras 'co-finance' a composition. KMV De Leiezonen from Desselgem engaged the Flemish composer Stijn Roels (b. 1979) for this composition assignment and will perform the work on Saturday, July 23 during the World Music Contest.
World of Wizards is a work that consists of one movement, but has several parts. It is inspired by a Fantasy story the composer made up himself. Classic themes of good, evil, war, peace and heroism are expressed through the characteristic brass band sound and capabilities. The bugle and saxophone sections are extensively featured but the other musicians need not be bored either.
Source: onfk.com