Concert Band
Overture for a Special Occasion
Grade 5 | 8 Mins
Overture for a Special Occasion was commissioned by Stadtmusik Bad Säckingen
to celebrate their 200th anniversary in 2011. The first performance took place in January that year, conducted by the band's musical director, Johannes Brenke.
Stadtmusik Bad Säckingen, based in south-west Germany, is one of the oldest wind orchestras in the region, dating back to 1811. The town of Bad Säckingen (Bad means 'spa town') is known as 'the town of the trumpeter' and indeed now houses a famous trumpet museum, which opened in 1985 and can boast the well-known American trumpeter and musicologist Edward H. Tarr as a former director. The current director is Johannes Brenke, the band's conductor.
The town's close association with the trumpet dates back to the middle of the 19th century when one-time resident, painter and author Joseph Victor von Scheffel, penned the immensely popular epic poem The Trumpeter of Säckingen. This was based on a true story and helped to spread the name of the town world-wide. The town's cathedral square is home to a statue of Scheffel and his trumpeter.
Overture for a Special Occasion is celebratory in mood, opening with a majestic fanfare which leads to a festive molto vivace. Joining the two is an enigmatic trumpet call, paying tribute to the town's most famous resident.