Jan van der Roost

The Wooden Soldier

The Wooden Soldier is a short and simple piece commissioned by the Singapore Ministry of Education. It was originally intended as a compulsory piece for the 2012 Singapore Youth Festival. Because many school bands in Singapore are incomplete, the composer was specifically asked to create a work that could equally be played by a limited ensemble-which explains various doubled and optional parts. The wooden toy soldier that inspires the work initially marches in a fictitious parade before gliding into a swift waltz. Both sections are based on the same melodic material: the brisk triple-time passage is in fact a variation on the parade theme. Switching between major and minor keys-together with a number of surprising twists-makes an enthralling work despite the restrictions imposed.