Johann Sebastian Bach

A Festive Tribute

A Festive Tribute is an arrangement of a splendid chorus which Bach first used in the secular Cantata 207 of 1726, but is perhaps better known in its later version, which appears in Cantata 207a, the descriptively titled Auf, schmetternde Töne der muntern Trompeten, which cannot be adequately translated but means something along the lines of 'let the trumpets sound'. While the lyrics are perhaps a little obsequious, much of the music for this cantata is celebratory and lushly scored for a large orchestra including trumpets, oboes d'amore and flutes, making it an ideal piece for a concert band arrangement.