Gavorkna Fanfare
Encyclopedia
Jack Stamp
wrote his piece Gavorkna Fanfare in the early 1990’s. This signature piece, written for wind ensemble, aided in creating a name for Stamp in wind band composition. First performed by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania
wind ensemble, The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps
performed it in their 1992 show, popularizing Dr. Stamp's intense and powerful composing style. The piece was first recorded by the Keystone Winds in 1995's Past The Equinox: The Music of Jack Stamp.
who was seeking a piece with the full instrumentation of a wind band. The beginning is characterized by a distinctly abrupt sound, meant to grab the audience's attention. The piece starts out with an ascending dissonant scale
. The trumpet
s then play a fast monotone of sixteenth notes, followed by a slower ascending three note pattern. This repeats several times, the trombones adding to the trumpet double tonguing attack, then the band pauses with a chord fading to silence. Then, what sounds like churchbells make a repeating 3-note pattern. The flutes and clarinet
s then play repeating notes adding to the bells, and finally the french horns enter with a sweet and majestic melody that sounds like the music used commonly in movies as the "love amidst a war theme" its sweet and majestic sound sound like the lovers being together against all odds, and the fast tempo, pounding drumbeat, frantic pulsing of flutes and clarinets, and the fanfare note patterns of the melody make the feeling of a war going on in the background. Once this melody runs its course, we go "back to the battle" and hear the trumpets fast tonguing
. after this, all brass instruments play a syncopated monotone that ends in the final, sustained chord of the piece.
This song was dedicated to Eugene Corporon.
Jack Stamp
Jack Stamp is a highly regarded North American Wind Ensemble conductor and composer.He has nearly sixty compositions available from Neil A Kjos Music Company, including the extremely popular Gavorkna Fanfare, which was dedicated to Eugene Corporon...
wrote his piece Gavorkna Fanfare in the early 1990’s. This signature piece, written for wind ensemble, aided in creating a name for Stamp in wind band composition. First performed by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
wind ensemble, The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps
The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps
The Cavaliers are a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Rosemont, Illinois and founded in 1948 by Donald Warren, and are a member corps of Drum Corps International, marching music's major league. The Cavaliers are currently under the direction of Adolph DeGrauwe...
performed it in their 1992 show, popularizing Dr. Stamp's intense and powerful composing style. The piece was first recorded by the Keystone Winds in 1995's Past The Equinox: The Music of Jack Stamp.
Composition
The fanfare was a request from Eugene Corporon, an instructor at Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
who was seeking a piece with the full instrumentation of a wind band. The beginning is characterized by a distinctly abrupt sound, meant to grab the audience's attention. The piece starts out with an ascending dissonant scale
Musical scale
In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical...
. The trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s then play a fast monotone of sixteenth notes, followed by a slower ascending three note pattern. This repeats several times, the trombones adding to the trumpet double tonguing attack, then the band pauses with a chord fading to silence. Then, what sounds like churchbells make a repeating 3-note pattern. The flutes and clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s then play repeating notes adding to the bells, and finally the french horns enter with a sweet and majestic melody that sounds like the music used commonly in movies as the "love amidst a war theme" its sweet and majestic sound sound like the lovers being together against all odds, and the fast tempo, pounding drumbeat, frantic pulsing of flutes and clarinets, and the fanfare note patterns of the melody make the feeling of a war going on in the background. Once this melody runs its course, we go "back to the battle" and hear the trumpets fast tonguing
Tonguing
Tonguing is a technique used with wind instruments to enunciate different notes using the tongue on the reed or woodwind mouthpiece or brass mouthpiece. A silent "tee" is made when the tongue strikes the reed or roof of the mouth causing a slight breach in the air flow through the instrument. If a...
. after this, all brass instruments play a syncopated monotone that ends in the final, sustained chord of the piece.
This song was dedicated to Eugene Corporon.