Semper Liberi (We Will Always Be Free): Baritone B.C.
By Robert W. Smith
Grade: 5 (Medium Advanced)
Item: 00-PC-0015195_BBC1
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Description
Opening with a bold statement on timpani, followed by layered brass entrances, this bracing new fanfare-like work makes a vibrant pronouncement that the music has begun. Energy, vigor, and conviction explode from this highly creative composition. Here is the perfect vehicle with which to open any concert setting. Soaring! (2:22)
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Additional Details
Series:
Belwin Symphonic Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
180
SKU:
00-PC-0015195_BBC1
More about this title
About the Composer: Robert W. Smith
Robert W. Smith ranks among America's most performed composers for concert band and orchestra, with over 400 published works distributed primarily through Alfred Music. His education includes a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Troy State University and a Master's degree in Music from the University of Miami.
Smith's original compositions have reached audiences across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Works including his symphonies The Divine Comedy and The Odyssey, along with concert band standards like The Tempest, demonstrate his gift for writing music that engages both developing and advanced ensembles. Beyond the concert hall, his music has appeared in television broadcasts, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade telecast, the Olympic Games, and numerous ceremonial occasions. He maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician, bringing his artistry to ensembles throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and Europe.
Why we love this
Semper Liberi delivers exactly what a concert opener demands: immediate impact and musical substance. Smith's layered orchestration and strategic use of the timpani statement create a dramatic gesture that claims the audience's attention without relying on gimmicks, and the harmonic language keeps the writing sophisticated even as the energy propels forward.
What to expect
The timpani strike lands like a gavel; what follows is unstoppable forward motion. Brass voices layer and climb over one another, building energy and harmonic richness that feels both modern and rooted in the fanfare tradition. The piece radiates confidence and celebration without ever turning shrill or thin.
Who it's for
Advanced high school and college concert bands seeking a Grade 5 opener with genuine musical substance. Directors programming sophisticated young ensembles will find a piece that raises the concert's profile while remaining within reach of disciplined musicians still developing advanced technique.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the timpani opening with clarity and weight. The instrument sets the entire work's foundation; let it speak before the brass enters.
- Balance the layered brass entrances so each new voice registers distinctly. The composition's effect depends on hearing the harmonic buildup, not a wall of sound.
- Maintain steady pulse and conviction throughout. This piece thrives on rhythmic drive; any wavering in tempo undermines the fanfare character.
- Shape the soaring melodic lines with appropriate legit, ensuring they sing above the textural activity beneath them.
How to use it
Open your concert with this work to establish momentum and sophistication from the first moments. It pairs well with lyrical or more introspective pieces that follow, creating dramatic contrast. Semper Liberi also works effectively in festival or ceremony contexts where a declarative, energetic statement serves the occasion.
Skills your students will build
- Executing clean, coordinated brass entrances with precision timing
- Reading and performing multiple simultaneous melodic lines (polyphonic awareness)
- Maintaining steady tempo and rhythmic integrity under layered orchestration
- Balancing inner voices and subsidiary melodic material within a full ensemble texture
- Shaping phrased melodic content that soars above accompaniment