Concert Band
Parade of the Clockwork Soldiers
Grade 2 | 5 Mins
This piece was inspired by watching my young son, Benny, playing ‘soldiers’ with his collection of teddy bears – how appropriate!
But it made me think of the many character pieces which take the form of a ‘toy march’, the most notable examples being by Haydn, Tchaikovsky and Leon Jessel.
Parade of the Clockwork Soldiers is in the form of a ‘patrol’ (starting and ending quietly with a louder middle) and aims to represent a band marching past the listener. In fact, where the hall layout permits it, it could be possible to add a little choreography to the piece, starting and ending with only a few instruments on stage.