Most summers I like to visit my dear friends, Peter, Roberta & Princess Grainne (the soft-coated Irish Wheaten terrier!), who live about half an hour to the south of Bremen, in the village of Bramstedt, North Germany. As I was walking down the straight, flat road across the fields, on my way to Bramstedt 'International' (actually just a platform on the main railway line!), this little march tune came to me, rather in the manner of... (more)

Most summers I like to visit my dear friends, Peter, Roberta & Princess Grainne (the soft-coated Irish Wheaten terrier!), who live about half an hour to the south of Bremen, in the village of Bramstedt, North Germany. As I was walking down the straight, flat road across the fields, on my way to Bramstedt 'International' (actually just a platform on the main railway line!), this little march tune came to me, rather in the manner of a Beethoven sketch - but whereas he jotted it down in a notebook, I hummed it into my mobile phone's voice memo!

It is very much intended as a tongue-in-cheek, fun German march, with a direct lift from a famous German folksong in the trio, and another brief Germanic reference at the end!

It has already been recorded on CD in a version for Wind Band and, apart from the original version for flute, clarinet & piano, there is now also a version for wind quintet.

All Reviews

There are 2 reviews for this score

FUN...
I like this piece, and as a trombone player I must say that the trombone part at letter "G" is very tricky. But I will not say that it is impossible, it will require a lot of practice. However, that does not effect my feeling of the piece, because I still feel that this is a great piece in each version you have arranged it for. I like to get my recorder out and play along with the flute part in most of them. So, once again great piece and I hope to hear more and more of your great works.

Frank Shaw

Oktober is coming!
Grab your steins and sing along! This lively little number put a smile on my face. Perhaps it is the march genre that brought back memories of playing marches when I was in high school. (Although we seldom had numbers this bright and lively and jaunty!) Perhaps it was the image in my mind's eye of seeing a small band of musicians on a street corner belting out this tune to the approval of those passing by. Whatever it was, this is happy music and I am happy that I found it and listened. Thank you, Mr Buttall, for sharing this one!

David Benning