Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990)
Fanfare for the Common Man
It was shortly after the entry of America into the Second World War that the English conductor Eugene Goosens, then in charge at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, asked 18 American composers to contribute patriotic fanfares for performance during his orchestra's 1942-43 season. Ten of these were written for brass and percussion alone, and were selected for publication. The titles were selected by the composers, and Aaron Copland chose to honour the man who performs no deeds of heroism on the battlefield but who, from the home front, shares the labours, sorrows and hopes of those who strive for victory. He later reused the fanfare in the finale of his finest symphony, the third.