Concert Band
La Caracolá
Grade 1.5 | 3 Mins
Flamenco is a style of music, usually played on the guitar to accompany dancing and singing, that has its home in Andalusia in southern Spain. It has its roots in the years of Moorish rule of the region (711–1492) although the modern flamenco style dates only from the 18th century.
La Caracolá (which is the Spanish name for the triton sea shell) is an annual festival of flamenco that takes place around the region’s capital, Seville, in May.
This piece doesn’t contain any traditional flamenco melodies, but tries to capture the colour and energy of this seductive music in a work for beginner band.
La Caracolá – conductor notes
Rhythm and energy are perhaps the two most important factors in this work. Percussion plays a vital rôle and bands with enough players are encouraged to add appropriate instruments (such as tambourine) to the castanets part in Percussion 2.
The contrast between rhythmic and lyrical elements should also be brought out: for example in the accompaniment at measure 9 and between the melody and accompaniment at measure 29.