Carnival of the Insects

Inspired by Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals, this work depicts many of the insects we know and love using interesting effects like tapping small sticks. Bands may like to perform Carnival of the Insects as a complete suite or to play individual movements on their own.

Genre: Band | # of Players: Standard
Level: 3.5 | Duration: 8:30

Instrumentation
1st Flute
2nd Flute
Oboe*
1st Bb Clarinet
2nd Bb Clarinet
3rd Bb Clarinet
Eb Alto Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet*
Bassoon*
1st Eb Alto Saxophone*
2nd Eb Alto Saxophone*
Bb Tenor Saxophone*
Eb Baritone Saxophone*

1st Bb Trumpet
2nd Bb Trumpet
3rd Bb Trumpet
1st F Horn
2nd F Horn
1st Trombone
2nd Trombone*
Euphonium
(TC Baritone)
Tuba

Timpani
Glockenspiel
Percussion 1* (snare drum, cabasa or maracas, tom tom, tambourine, triangle)
Percussion 2* (cymbal, claves, tom tom, triangle, wood block)
Percussion 3* (bass drum, tambourine, wind chimes)

Parts marked with an asterisk (*) are NOT ESSENTIAL, although their presence will obviously enable a fuller realization of the composer's intentions to be achieved.

Program Notes
Carnival of the Insects was commissioned by the National School Band Association and was first performed at the Scottish Festival organized by NSBA and Brian Duguid of West Lothian Arts on May 12, 2001.

The music letters SBA were used to form the basis of the melodies to personalize the piece for the Association. (S can be Eb, B can be Bb using European note names.)

The Carnival is inspired by Saint Saëns "Carnival of the Animals" and derives a lot of the rhythmic structures from it.

March of the Ants - The Thin Black Line
The composer was reminded of a French holiday when a line of ants would march every night from the gate of the house, past the pool and up into the garden.

Crickets and stick insects
Here the composer remembered balmy Mediterranean nights and the sound of crickets. An interesting effect is to have small groups of players around the performance venue randomly tapping small sticks throughout this movement.

Insectivores
These are the creatures which eat insects and the music has a dramatic scary feel to it with a chase in the middle.

Metamorphosis
This is where the caterpillar changes into a butterfly. The Euphonium melody will strike the listener as being very similar to "The Elephant."

The Bug Parade
This is a grand finales where we can imagine many of the insects in a Disney-like parade.

Bands may like to perform the
Carnival
as a complete suite or to play individual movements on their own.