A Fanfare For Freedom

 

 Score and parts are available here

Scored for Chamber Orchestra, Fanfare of Freedom is appropriate for junior or senior high-school musicians, yet sophisticated enough for professional orchestras. After the introduction, the dynamic volume drops and begins a slow build toward a powerful climax. This makes Fanfare of Freedom perfect for a voice-over presentation of patriotic or other material of your choice. 

There is much discussion of "freedom" these days. But the word "freedom" has more than one meaning. Perhaps the most common meaning in everyday conversation is "freedom from coercion". However, in another sense, the word "freedom" implies that one possesses the means to pursue that which is worth pursuing. 
 
This second meaning of the word encompasses and expands the common meaning of the word. If I wish to compose music, no one is stopping me from doing so - but I cannot compose music until I have submitted to the discipline that is required to gain the understanding and skill that it is necessary for a composer to have. Freedom to do anything requires submission to the discipline that allows the skills and understanding that are necessary for accomplishing that which is worthy of accomplishment! Otherwise, "freedom" is little more than chaos!

I used some elements of symbolism in constructing this piece. The architecture consists of a somewhat flashy introduction followed by a slow gradual build to the final note!  I used the rhythmic motif from the Second Movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony as a symbolic representation of the repetitive hard work that achieving "Freedom" entails. If you listen carefully, you will hear places where a single pitch begins softly, grows loud, and then disappears again into the overall texture. In my mind, that represents the way that ideas and voices come and go in the drive to the ultimate concept of freedom. 

At any rate, I hope that some of you enjoy!