Bull City Fanfare

Description

Piccolo, Flute 1, Flute 2, Oboe, Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2, Clarinet in Bb 3, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Alto Saxophone 1, Alto Saxophone 2, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Trumpet in Bb 1, Trumpet in Bb 2, Trumpet in Bb 3, Horn in F 1, Horn in F 2, Trombone 1, Trombone 2, Trombone 3, Euphonium, Bb Euphonium, Tuba, Mallet Percussion 1, Bells, Mallet Percussion 2, Vibraphone, Mallet Percussion 3, Chime, Mallet Percussion 4, Marimba, Timpani, Percussion 1, Tambourine, Triangle, Percussion 2, Suspended Cymbal, Crash Cymbals, Percussion 3, Congas — Bull City Fanfare was composed for my friend Thomas Shaffer and the Durham Community Concert Band. It is an exciting opener (or closer) that is easily accessible to most young high school bands. Bull City is the nickname for Durham, North Carolina as you may remember from the baseball movie, Bull Durham. The city was given that moniker in the late 1800s when the Blackwell Tobacco Company named its product “Bull” Durham Tobacco. Tobacco was king in Durham for quite awhile. The Durham Community Concert Band has been operating for forty years. It is a great organization and flourishes with well over 100 members of all ages.This piece should be played with a steady tempo throughout, ideally at the indicated metronome marking of 144. Any dragging of tempo will result in the piece losing its energy. The tambourine part may be played with two hands or sticks if necessary with the instrument on a table or snare drum, and the conga part should be very prominent.Exaggerate the dynamics: play the pianos soft and pay attention to marked crescendos. But this piece is not for the timid: play the fortes and fortissimos with gusto. Have fun!