Composition - Tale of the Dragon

Tale of the Dragon was commissioned by the Senshu University Tamana High School Band in Japan to celebrate their 50th Anniversary.
Composed as a dramatic finale Tale of the Dragon is a piece of programmatic music that tells an old Japanese legend of adventure and bravery...
       Section: 2+


For decades the Japanese people were plagued by a fearsome dragon, which would attack the villages and towns killing many people. The Emperor, fearing for his beautiful daughter’s life, decreed that if anyone could defeat the dragon they could have his daughters hand in marriage.

The music opens at the gates of the Emperors palace. Our hero, a young and brave soldier, returns with the army victorious. To reward his bravery, the soldier is summoned to the temple by the Emperor.

On his way to the temple the young soldier meats the Emperors daughter, represented by the slow Soprano cornet. They fall in love and the young soldier accepts the challenge from the Emperor and embarks in his quest to rid the land of the dragon.

The music continues at the foot of an erupting volcano, the soldier finds the dragon and they enter into battle. After a fearsome fight and summoning every last bit of his strength, the young soldier eventually manages to drive his sword into the dragon’s heart.

With the final closing chords of this piece representing the fatal blows from the victorious soldier’s sword, the dragon collapses and our hero stands victorious.

Tale of the Dragon is a descriptive piece that provides opportunities for soloists within the piece to stand at the front to perform. This high octane finale has plenty for all musicians and listeners to enjoy.


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