Nick van Elsen

The Promised Continent (Fanfarenorchester)

'The Promised Continent' was commissioned by VLAMO as a test piece for the 'Vlamo Open Fanfarekampioenschap 2020' (VLOF) in CC Zwaneberg (Heist-op-den-Berg - Belgium). Music, and by extension art in general, should not convey a political message. However, it is an ideal form to draw attention to certain events in the time in which it was created. From this point of view, the composer wrote this concerto for fanfare band. It is about the immense flow of refugees that started during the Syrian civil war and the blitzkrieg of the Islamic State in that same region. The Promised Continent is reminiscent of 'The Promised Land', which is mentioned in the Old Testament. There, too, an oppressed population group is moving away in the hope of ending up in a better place. In four consecutive movements, the composer tries to express the feelings and thoughts that these people might experience.