A Procession for Peace

This work is a kind of symphonic prelude, written on two planes: the wind instruments and strings play a hymn-like chorale in the metre of 3/4, while the beat of the drums and the timpani reflect the character of a very slow, solemn march in the metre of 2/4.

As this composition was designed for an open-air concert, I was imagining myself as a painter, using a large brush on a huge canvas. After the initial timpani roll, the muted brass with drums start extremely softly, like a very slowly approaching procession heard from a great distance. Then the brass gives way to woodwinds, and the woodwinds to strings. This invocation gradually becomes more and more intense, and louder, as the procession draws nearer - until the last bars, where the whole orchestra together express with their utmost power an impassioned call for Peace.


I composed this short orchestral work having no affiliation to any peace organisation nor to any political party. I furnished it with this dedication:


To peace-loving people of every race and religion, of
every political and philosophical creed.        


Andrzej Panufnik

Reproduction Rights
This programme note can be reproduced free of charge in concert programmes with a credit to the composer