About “Majestic” by Brandon Walker
“Majestic” is a spirited original composition by Brandon Walker and winner of The Professional Composers Forum October 2020 monthly themed contest! Inspiration for style and orchestration was largely drawn from “The Star Wars Suite” by John Williams as well as Gustav Holst’s “The Planets”. In writing the two-minute piece, Brandon wanted to capture the dynamics and energy of these well-known pieces that at times, perfect examples of “majestic” music.
Licensing “Majestic” for Large Orchestra:
For music licensing and score purchasing/rental information, contact Brandon here.
More Details About Majestic
The form of the piece is essentially:
- Introduction
- A-A-B-A
- Ending
| Introduction | Ambiguous winds and some exotic voicings (Ab – Bb/Ab) builds into… |
| First “A” theme | In C major with bold French Horns carrying the main motif. Soaring strings and a triumphant trumpet take over from the horns with the second melodic motif. |
| Second “A” section | Is given new life, back in “Ab”, but this time presented by a spritely large woodwind section and splashes of percussion. The strings again present the melodies sub-theme, however this time in a more tender, contrapuntal arrangement. |
| “B” theme | Presents a mysterious and ominous contrast, in Ab’s related minor key of Fm. The brass sections take turns presenting the minor version of the original theme while the tam-tam, alto flute, contrabassoon, bassoons in high register provide some exotic colors. Violas playing “col legno” provide the ticking rhythm to keep things moving to our… |
| Final “A” section | Now in F Major and larger than previous “A” sections |
| End | Bombastic Percussion brings us to a stop while the final melodic theme by the full string section brings us to a grand close, along with harp glissandos and celeste chimes. |
How Was the “Majestic” Audio and Video Made?
The music and score were produced using StaffPad for iOS, using a mixture of CineSample, Spitfire, and Berlin libraries. Audio stems were exported for final mixing in ProTools. The music video was produced in Adobe Premiere Pro with a stock picture courtesy of Pixabay.
Instrumentation for Large Orchestra:
Majestic for Large Orchestra uses large woodwind, brass, string and percussion sections to help give an “epic” sound.
| WoodWinds | 2 Flutes 1 Piccolo 1 Alto Flute 2 Oboes 1 Eng Horn 2 Bb Clarinets 1 Bass Clarinet 2 Bassoons 1 Contrabassoon |
| Brass | 4 French Horns 3 Bb Trumpets 2 Trombones 1 Bass Trombone 1 Tuba |
| Percussion | 1 Timpani Percussion (Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Toms, Tambourine, Slap Stick, Mark Tree, Triangle, Crotale, Piatti, Cymbal, Tam-Tam, Glockenspiel) 1 Celeste 1 Harp |
| (Large) String Section | Violins I Violins II Violas Cellos Bass |
Where Can I Hear More Music Like “Majestic”?
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