American composer, trumpeter, and conductor Erik Morales (b. 1966) got his start composing shortly after high school in South Florida, writing marching arrangements for his former high school and studying composition at Florida International University. He completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, and has been based in Louisiana ever since. He has over 150 compositions to his name, including works for band, orchestra, jazz, and chamber music. He also continues to perform in a variety of situations. See more about Morales at his website, the Wind Repertory Project, Alfred Music, and FJH Music.
Morales wrote Fable in 2017 on a commission from the Dover Band Boosters in celebration of 100 years of the Dover, Ohio band program, led by Chris Redd. He says in the program notes:
Designed to play out like a fairy tale, Fable was inspired by ancient collections of children’s stories such as Aesop’s Fables and Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Mostly, these stories were created to instill the values of making right and good decisions. However, many of these stories often resolved in dark ways. This was especially true of the stories created by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Many of their stories were edited in later editions.
Fable has an epic movie soundtrack quality by design. This piece has three main themes which occur at measures 3-14, measures 49-56 and the rhythmic figures appearing in measure 67-70. Each theme works as a catalyst for development throughout the work. The composite time signature of 4/4 + 2/4 is used to frame the rhythmic figures that drive these melodic themes. By request of the commissioning party I have included a musical fragment of the Dover High School Alma Mater at measure 132-133 in the low brass and French horns. A synthesizer part is included to enhance the bass and overall depth of sound.
Follow along with the official FJH recording of Fable:
Follow up for more info on Fable at the Wind Repertory Project, J. W. Pepper, and Sheet Music Plus. Also check out a perusal score at Stanton’s.