Olympic March

Olympic March captures the joy and energy of vintage circus marches while remaining genuinely easy to rehearse. Kinyon gives every section compelling material without burying anyone in complexity, and the piece works equally well to kick off a concert or send the audience home smiling.

Olympic March radiates pure, unpretentious fun. You hear the ringmaster's whistle, the brass fanfares cutting through the crowd, and those silly low-brass slides that always get a laugh. It's buoyant and affable, with enough musical substance to feel like a real composition rather than just filler.

This piece is ideal for beginning concert bands (Grades 4-6 performance level) that want to sound accomplished without weeks of intensive rehearsal. It works beautifully for ensembles building confidence and repertoire range, or for experienced groups looking for a reliable, entertaining filler or closer.

• Bring out the fanfare passages with crisp, unified articulation in the brass to establish the carnival atmosphere right away.
• Feature your low brass glissandi intentionally; these moments are comedic gold when executed with confidence and clear projection.
• Balance the countermelodies so secondary lines don't disappear into the texture; Grade 1 ensembles often need a gentle nudge to voice layers clearly.

Program this as your concert opener to set a lighthearted, engaging tone immediately, or use it as an encore to leave the audience grinning. It also works well alongside other Grade 1 marches or lighter character pieces when you want variety in style without difficulty level jumping.

• Balance between melody and countermelody
• Clean articulation in fanfare passages
• Sustaining ensemble precision at a brisk tempo
• Confidence performing accessible concert literature