Triptych

The Swiss Band Federation commissioned Triptych for Section 2 of their 16^th Brass Band Championships in Montreux, 1990.

It is in three connected movements:

1 Pageant

Has a slightly medieval mood through use of modal harmony and starts with a single line with the feel of a fanfare. The texture thickens as layer is laid upon layer until a chordal climax is reached. A second, but still martial, subject leads back to the original fanfare and after material is restated three themes combine to close the movement.

2 Fantasy on One Note

A hymn-like movement, which has a concert ‘F’ present throughout. As the harmony changes, the ‘F’ appears in various parts of the band but returns to the 2^nd and 3^rd cornets under changing harmony to lead to:

3 Festival

A joyous movement with a lively tune first stated by the trombones and euphoniums. The full band takes this up. A cantabile second subject is introduced by the euphoniums and again taken up ‘tutti’. The first tune the reappears to bring the movement to a close.