
Fast Track
Fast Track is a celebratory piece for wind ensemble, and the title is an apt description of the work as a whole. The piece begins with a brass flourish that provides us entrée into a relentless and fast-paced race through several discrete sections of music, each separated by transitions or passageways. Many of the themes featured throughout Fanfares are derived from a distinctive galloping motive that propels us through much of the race. Exactly at the middle of the track, we find ourselves at a pit stop, and with the pulse still revving high, the percussion group and trombones perform a long chorale set against a running engine of cannons in the woodwinds. Now somewhat refreshed, we run through the track again, only this time more quickly. We exit the fast track as we began - with a fanfare to the finish line.