What do you know about fanfares?
Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Suggestions
- A call to attention for special occasions.
- A way of sending messages across large open spaces.
- To announce the arrival of a monarch, special person, competitor or hero.
- To set the scene at a ceremony or special occasion.
- To honour service men and women killed in action.
Suggestions
Download
Extract 1
Extract 2
Extract 3
Military call
Fanfare to honour the dead
Arrival of a royal person
Further listening
- ‘La Réjouissance’ – G F Handel
- ‘2000 Olympic Fanfare’ – James Morrison
- ‘Symphonie de fanfare’ – J J Mouret
Information
You will hear three fanfares for different occasions.
Listen to the three extracts in turn, then drag the descriptions to the correct box.
Check
Reset
Further listening
LNF
7.OS5 /
7.OL1
- What are the (musical) similarities between each extract?
- How is the mood different from one fanfare to the other?
Listen again to the 'Reveille' (a military fanfare).
Discuss the key musical features of a fanfare in terms of pitch, duration and timbre.
Pitch
Duration (rhythm)
Timbre (instruments)
Rhythm
- Attractive rhythmic patterns (short notes - quavers / semi-quavers).
- Repeated patterns.
- 2 or 4 beats in a bar.
Pitch
- Melodies based on the harmonic series / major triad.
- Melodic movement - mainly leaps.
- Repetitive melodic patterns.
Timbre
- Performed on brass instruments – trumpet / bugle / horn / cornet.
Show suggestions
LNF
7.OS5 /
7.OL1
- Can you identify other interesting features in this fanfare?
(pace / texture / dynamics)
