Planets Align

Composer Dan Hall takes a look at Philip Harper's concert opener - Planets Align.

A creative and atmospheric concert ‘opener’ composed by Cory Band's Musical Director, Philip Harper, the piece features the use of instrumental panning, therefore creating a surround sound effect; absorbing the audience into the cosmic sound world. The soprano and principal cornet are prominent soloists, performing fanfares after one another, from a distance. The ending of the piece is more like a comma than a full stop, meaning that a fast and high-impact piece can follow without any pauses, producing a sense of flow at the beginning of a concert programme. Definitely an ‘opener’ that I would recommend.