A light overture for orchestra
Op. 39
A 2 minute trailer for The Circus, by Mark Goddard
Programme Note
Composed in April 1981 and fully revised in 2018, this overture, which parallels some of the traditional circus acts (for example trapeze, jugglers, clowns etc.), is meant as an affectionate parody of a musical style all too readily neglected these days.
The Circus won the Eric Coates Prize at the Royal Academy of Music and was first performed by the Abingdon and District Music Society conducted by the David Andrew on 5th February, 1987.
Duration: c. 5 minutes.
Available to buy or rent, the full score is available in a ring-bound A3 portrait format, with a full set of A4 parts: 2.1.2.1 2.2.2 1.3.1 4.4.3.3.2
Also available in a version for brass band (Spartan Press SP129), first performed by Wantage Silver Band in June 1983.
Sample pages
MP3 file
Structural Analysis
Not yet available, but if you’d like to see one, please get in contact!
Scoring
Flutes I & II/Piccolo*
Oboe
Bb Clarinets I & II
Bassoon
F Horns I & II
Bb Trumpets I & II
Tenor Trombones I & II
Timpani (3 pedal timps)
Percussion*
Bass Drum
Clashed Cymbals
Suspended Cymbal
High-Hat Cymbals
Snare Drum
Tambourine
Triangle
Whip
Wood Block
Glockenspiel
Xylophone
Harp*
Violin I (4 players+)
Violin 2 (4 players+)
Violas (3 players+)
Cello (3 players+)
Double Bass (2 players+)