The inspiration for this work stems from the Internationales Blasmusikfest der Jugend Europas (a biennial European youth wind music festival in the town Bad Orb, in Hesse, Germany), where Jacob de Haan has on various occasions been a patron. The composition opens in a festive, march-like tempo, which symbolises for the participating wind bands presenting themselves on the first day.
On the second day, a concert featuring sacred music takes place on top of the hill looking out over the town – the Molkenberg. As soon as these stately sounds have come to a close, you can hear the sounds of various bands coming up from the valley – like smoke spiralling upwards along the hill. This concept is represented by two instrumental groups leaving the stage during the performance, who then play their music from a distance in the pauses that occur within the stately music played by the band. A saxophone group performs a little waltz, and a mixed group of brass, flute and piccolo plays a little march. At the end of the work, the band takes up the themes of both instrument groups, and both groups march towards the stage from different directions. There they stand as the closing chord sounds, facing the audience.
This march-like section mirrors the third day, when the wind music festival is concluded with a march of all the bands through the old streets of Bad Orb.
- ISMN: 9790035224892 (M035224892)