KMartial Arts

Sometimes several disciplines come together in a single project: writing for band and scoring a film at the same time.

For the orchestra of the Koninklijke Marechaussee (KMAR), the commission was to compose music to accompany a promotional film showcasing the many and varied activities of the corps. The score follows the images closely, matching the pace and character of each scene as the film moves through the diverse work of the Marechaussee.

Rather than being added in post-production, the music is written to be performed live alongside the film, bringing the band and the screen together in a single performance.

Because the orchestra is made up of professional musicians of a high level, the writing makes the most of their abilities: high, triumphant trumpet lines, fast, agile euphonium parts, and lyrical soprano saxophone lines run throughout the score.

The composition is partly based on the corps’ signature anthem, and opens with a recording of the men’s choir singing it before the band takes over with the main theme of KMartial Arts.

Because the work is tailored so closely to the promotional film and built in part on the corps’ own signature anthem, it is not available for performance by other orchestras.