Originally arranged for Noda Junior High School and their performance at All Japan Ensemble Contest in 1995. I have made some additions and revisions for the recording of "Terpsichore" (BOCD-8194).

Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) was born in the town of Kreuzburg near Eisenach, Germany, and was a composer, theorist, and organist who made a great contribution to church music and instrumental music.

"Terpsichore" is the name of a collection of songs arranged and compiled by Praetorius from the classical dances handed down from France to the German court in the early 17th century (1612). The name "Terpsichore" comes from the goddess of dance, "Terpsichore" among the nine Muses in Greek mythology.

The collection contains more than 300 French dances, but this arrangement for brass octet comprises the following five dances.

1. Entrée (137) CXXXVII (4 voices)
2. Volte (201) CCI (5 voices)
3. La Canarie (31) (4 voices)
4. Branles (14) (5 voices) and Ballet (268)CCLXVIII( 4 voices)
5. La Bourée (32) (4 voices)
-The instrumentation is a brass octet: Trp.1 [Picc.Trp.] / Trp.2-3 / Hrn.1-2 / Trb.1-2 / Tuba / Perc.
-Trp.2 switches to flugelhorn during the 3rd movement.
-Brass players switch to percussion. Many groups have performed it so far, but I feel this piece has expressive potential through performers' free interpretation.

(Masato Sato)