Salute to Simsbury

This march was written for the Simsbury Community Band of Connecticut. After attending several of the group’s concerts, I was very impressed by their playing ability. This was before I went to college and was exposed to a greater number of musical groups (and better ones). Naturally, I became very excited, composed this march, and sent it to the band’s president. After months of false promises to perform my march, I eventually gave up on the idea that I would ever hear it played. However, in the middle of my senior year of high school, fate struck. My music teacher, Mr. Curt Weybright, informed me of the CMEA Composer’s Festival. All participants would get feedback from professional composers, and if their work was chosen, it would be performed at the festival. I figured since all the parts were already complete, I would enter Salute to Simsbury. After a few weeks, I was ecstatic to learn my march was chosen. And as fate would have it, the march was to be played by none other than my future band, the Central Connecticut State University Wind Ensemble. The motif I attempted to explore was the importance of all sections of a band, working together to create a constant forward motion. Listen for the falling line at the end of the first breakstrain.

Key: Eb, Ab

Meter: 6/8

Difficulty: 3.5

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