Robert Buckley Farlee

An Olympic Celebration

An Olympic Celebration is a tribute to the pursuit of excellence and the triumph of the human spirit. This piece was commissioned by The West Vancouver Youth Band for the build up to the 2010 Winter Olympics. The initial 'festive fanfare', based on open fifths moving in contrary motion, brings the athletes out into the arena. This leads to the 'parade of the athletes' theme. Then comes the establishment of the 'heroic theme' in the woodwinds and horns - moving through different sections - until the transition, with an alto saxophone solo and an oboe solo, leading into the 'flashback' section. Here we go into the minds of the athletes and the internal and physical struggles that have brought them to this place. The melody is epic; rich in feeling and full of heart. This moves through various moods until the introduction of the 'challenge' theme; a theme stated by the horns and trombones, which passes through the different sections of the band. A restatement of the 'flashback' theme, this time triumphant, takes us to a final fanfare of celebration and jubilation.