Jonathan Shaw

     I’ll let you guess the influence behind this one – ah, no prizes, it was Bach. Specifically his Brandenburg Concertos which I had recently discovered (surprisingly late, especially after knowing of Bach for about 2 years already!). It was the first movement of his 2nd Brandenburg Concerto that drove me to write this piece, which I originally fantasized about being used for a celebratory parade of some kind – hence the title. The original score below, which I have left unedited from when I first wrote it, holds several notational errors!

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     I remember working heavily on this piece during one of my secondary school's ‘Open Evenings’ – an evening set aside for future students to visit and see what their next school will be like, often with current students volunteering to “look busy” and talk with the future students if they or their parents have any questions. I sat with one of my friends in the Music room and I clicked away into Sibelius. I remember struggling with the ending, which you probably gathered from its uneasy modulations and short duration, but the main theme is something I have a nostalgic fondness for.