Menno Bosgra

Dublimania (Fanfarenorchester)

This new work is based on Irish folk music. In the first part, the main theme is presented as a ballad, starting with the piccolo (as replacement for the flute which is widely used in Ireland), moving on the wood section to end with the entire orchestra. It then changes to a kind of rock style theme: powerful, rhythmic accompaniment with effects in dampers, a pedal point and the use of the spoons which is typical of Irish music (Irish pub), high-range bongo drum (replacement for the Bodhran), etc. In this second part I introduced a second theme as a counterbalance, played by several groups, which has clearly a more legato character and therefore sounds more melodious. The climax of the work starts in the low-range brass section with its marcato theme that is developed with a great deal of rhythmicity in the accompaniment, clusters, etc. into a percussion solo interspersed by the orchestra in five-eight time with frequent parallel movement in chords (folk music style). Towards the end, theme 2 recurs twice: first as heard earlier with an extra counter melody and accompaniment pattern, then in a canonical form, in which the theme is played by three groups. The conclusion is a repeat of the middle section in five-eight time. I have tried to use many of the colours of a wind orchestra by having the wood sections and brass section play alone and making extensive use of dampers. Percussion also has a prominent role throughout the work.