Antiphonal Fanfare was composed in October 2007, at the request of David Heyes, and was premiered on Friday 18 April 2008 at Wells Cathedral School (Somerset). It was the first piece of the opening concert of Bass-Fest @ Wells and was one of fifteen premieres during the weekend, including six bass fanfares.
Two groups of basses are pitted against each other, taking in turns to play rich chords or jagged syncopated melodies. The music is entirely diatonic but, as in much of Guy Turner’s music, the richness of the harmonies owes a great deal to the predominance of the interval of a major 7th.
Antiphonal Fanfare is playable by bass octet or larger forces and offers few challenges for the good intermediate ensemble. It is a fun and lively work which would be suitable for any audience or occasion.