Philip Sparke: Parade of the Clockwork Soldiers: Concert Band

This piece was inspired by the composer watching his young son, Benny, playing ‘soldiers’ with his collection of teddy bears - how appropriate!But it made him think of the many character pieces which take the form of a ‘toy march’, the most notable examples being by Haydn, Tchaikovsky and Leon Jessel. Parade of the Clockwork Soldiers is in the form of a ‘patrol’ (starting and ending quietly with a louder middle) and aims to represent a band marching past the listener. In fact, where the hall layout permits it, it could be possible to add a little choreography to the piece, starting and ending with only a few instruments on stage.