Pomp!

For brass ensemble:  4 Trumpets, 4 Horns, 3 Trombones 2 Euphoniums and 2 Tubas

Graduations are a joyful and momentous occasion. Years of hard work are validated and the celebrations in hopes of a successful future are many. One of my favorite graduation traditions is the playing of Sir Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance – March No. 1 (1901) and it is the inspiration for this fanfare. 

To celebrate my little brother, Christopher Nunes, and his high school graduation I took select fragments from Elgar’s piece and reworked them into new material. These fragments flourish and spread throughout the ensemble while increasing the excitement with each recurrence. Once the music has reached its peak the full ensemble moves in unison through thick chords that show off the power of brass.