Kevin Houben
Ancient Tales
NEW
Kevin Houben
Ancient Tales
- Instrumentation Concert Band
- Composer Kevin Houben
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Difficulty Level
- Edition Score
- Publisher Houben Editions
- Order no. HBE006-076
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Description:
Ancient Tales Commissioned by Fanfare Ellona Ell (NL) in honour of their centenary in 2023 "Ancient Tales" was written by composer Kevin Houben in honour of the 100th anniversary of Fanfare Ellona, an authentic village association from Ell, which values fun and community. The piece is a musical representation of some of the legends and legends that took place in and around the rural village of Ell, which probably owes its name to the many alder trees that shaped the landscape around the 15th century. The somewhat mysterious beginning of the work refers to the story of the sunken church in Weerbroekskuil, where, according to legend, bells can be heard ringing on Christmas night and ghosts in the form of lights can be seen floating above the moor. Here the chorale composed by Houben for this work is introduced, which runs like a red thread through the composition in the form of melodic cells and motivic developments. It then continues with cheerful, dynamic passages, alternating with lyrical and quieter sections. With some surprising melodic twists and metrical variations, Houben refers to the turbulent history that the citizens of Ell lived through at the time of the 80 Years' War, when the peasant country was ravaged by marauding soldiers and criminals. With the construction of the Ellershan, the Ellers proved their resilience, which the composer refers to by repeatedly resorting to cheerful and danceable themes that give the whole a cheerful character through a refreshing choice of meter. "Ancient Tales" is a charming and energetic composition that will inspire many orchestra members to enjoy playing and will appeal to a wide audience. In addition, the work offers enough challenges for each instrument group and is therefore suitable as a competition piece. Therefore, "Ancient Tales" by Vlamo was selected as the obligatory test piece for the VLOF 2024.