Sunday, August 29, 2010

No News Sunday Fanfare

The Baron is away until tomorrow. In place of the news, here is a version of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man”.


This was the music used during yesterday’s “Restoring the Honor” event in Washington, D.C. As each recipient came up to receive their award, this theme would resound.

The version you see here is from the National Cathedral. In one of his speeches, Glenn Beck reported on his visit to the National Cathedral and how moved he was by its splendid details.

I’ll have a first-hand report tomorrow from one of our readers. They just checked in via email to let us know they survived the heat and the crowds. They estimate larger numbers present than the MSM reported:

…the woods on either side of the reflecting pool were packed with people, the aerial photos do not do justice to the crowd. It is possible that there were significantly over a half million.
Definitely, a Day for the Common Man...and Woman.

[Post ends here]

3 comments:

Zenster said...

Definitely my favorite Copeland composition. His resolution of the initial harmony lines (video time point - 01:02), still can send shivers down my spine.

As a fanfare, the piece is more appropriately played on the brass instruments it was originally written for. My first exposure to this work was in the role of opening music for a 1975 appearance by the Rolling Stones. It has remained an all time favorite ever since.

Anonymous said...

I consider this the best fanfare ever written. I had the privilege of playing it as third horn in a community symphony. It was hard to keep control, the piece affects me so.

I agree it is best on the original brass it was written for, but the organ version was credible.

Copland was a very original composer and used open harmonies unlike any before or since. This is part of what makes this so powerful.

Even more to the point is what it says about Copland's vision of common men (and women).

Thanks for sharing it.

Dymphna said...

Bill, you're a lucky man to have played that.

The Baron learned to like Copland because his father was a fan.

The setting for this, the National Cathedral, is something. We couldn't get that built today. We've fallen thru the floor so fast...