Solemnity was composed when the composer came back from his first Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Inspired by all the concert bands performing there, and all the fellow composers met at this occasion, he decided to write a kind of fanfare work, leading to a fast theme on a driving rhythm.The piece begins like a fanfare with a solemn character which gives the title of the work, the brass here have a nice part to play. Then, a new theme full of energy, using the same rhythmic motive as the fanfare theme, is exposed by the high woodwinds and finally by more instruments. The central part is a slow one, where a melancolic theme is exposed by the oboe, and finally the rest of the band. After a fugato section, the energic theme is back to lead to a brilliant coda.
