Concert Band

Composed in 2008, Triumphant Fanfare was commissioned by the Texas A&M University – Commerce (previously East Texas State University) Wind Ensemble under the baton of Dr. Jeff Gershman.  The fanfare was in honor of Dr. Keith McFarland for his years of service as the President of TAMUC from 1999-2008.  As an alumnus of East Texas State University in 1985, Key Poulan, III was honored to be called upon to create a concert opener that would ultimately be premiered at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas.

With hints of the ETSU/TAMUC alma mater sprinkled throughout the work, the fanfare pays homage to Poulan’s trombone professor – Dr. Neill Humfeld, his brass choir instructor and trumpet professor – Conrad Baushka, his student teacher supervisor and professor of horn, euphonium, and tuba – Michael Morrow.  The work also respects the teachings of Poulan’s composition professors Dr. Ronald Yates, Dr. Margaret Wheat, and his jazz band instructor and professor of percussion- Dr. Robert Houston.

While filled with medium-level technical passages, the real challenge is to master “just intonation” as each of the 12 major chords are represented in the work with several coming in quick succession of one other.  Eight percussionists (including piano) are utilized with a range from the delicate nuance of the triangle and crash cymbals at piano to the full section roar of the entire ensemble at the end.