Fanfare orchestra

An Fanfare Orchestra ( also Fanfare Band or Fanfare Orkest) is a musical ensemble consisting of the entire saxhorn family, Trumpets, Trombones, and saxophones (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone), as well as percussion.

Instrumentation

The instrumentation of a fanfare orchestra is fairly similar to that of a British brass band (seeing that the ensemble contains mostly conical bore instruments). There are some differences between the two, however. In a fanfare orchestra, the main melody instrument is usually the flugelhorn, which is also often the most abundant instrument in the orchestra. In these ensembles, flugelhorns act as cornets would in a British-style brass band. Flugelhorns often have to play in the higher register much more often than in a brass band, as well as playing very quick technical passages. For this reason, flugelhorns in fanfare bands use shallower, more cornet like mouthpieces than the deep, conical one used in brass bands. The saxophone parts are often doubled on flugelhorn parts, which is what gives the fanfare band its characteristic dark sound, as opposed to the brighter sound of wind bands. Trumpets are the other instruments that provide the higher range in fanfare bands. Trumpets generally do not play as much of a role in the sound of the band as they would in other ensembles, such as wind bands. Cornets are also occasionally used, but this is rare. At the very top of the range there is usually an Eb Cornet or a Piccolo Trumpet. In the middle and lower ranges of the fanfare orchestra are French horns. Tenor horns can also be used, but this is rare. Lower than the French horns are baritone horns and euphoniums, trombones, occasionally a bass trombone, and B flat and E flat tubas. The lower instrumentation of a fanfare band is virtually identical to that of a brass band, aside from the fact that there are baritone saxophones in the fanfare band. There is often an abundance of percussion players (from 4-6).

Range

The fanfare band is very seldom found outside of Northern Europe, as this is where these bands originated. guided tour test