Concert Band
Salute to a Hero: Fanfare for Billy
Grade 3 | 2 Mins
It is a tradition at Marlow High School, Oklahoma, that the band members’ parents host a Band Banquet every May, at which the senior members of the band present a gift to the band director as a token of gratitude for his year’s work. In 2009, clarinet player Brenna Hensley had the idea to commission a new piece from composer Philip Sparke to present to band director Billy Daniel, which would be played at the Spring Concert later that month. Salute to a Hero was the result.
The piece opens with a brass fanfare, decorated by the woodwinds. After a short bridge passage this reappears, played by the full band. A central lyrical section brings a mood of calm and contrasts brass and woodwind sections before the fanfare returns to close the work.