This piece began as a request and a dilemma. Only a few weeks after I had presented my Volo Volare to our director of bands at Vanderbilt University Dr. Thomas Verrier, he contacted me for a meeting without warning. The Vanderbilt Wind Symphony had an upcoming performance at the College Band Directors National Association’s National Conference and Tom wanted to program my work, but Volo Volare was simply too lengthy to fit on our already packed program. He challenged me to create a shorter, flashier version of the piece that we’d be able to take to CBDNA.

Fanfare and Flight is the result of that challenge; a high-energy opener that is at once a proclamation and invitation. Bold brass and thunderous percussion announce their arrival in no uncertain terms. Woodwinds and mallet percussion swirl and sparkle around this proclamation inviting listeners into their glittering world. These moments bookend the whimsical tune comprising the heart of the piece which soars with increasing excitement.