FANFARE AND CHORAL Op.54a for Wind Band by EGIL HOVLAND (Norway, 1924 – 2013)

[#331] Nov 24, 2025 Norway | 1966 | Wind Band | Grade 5 | 7'30" | Overture

Premiered by St. Olaf Band in Bergen, Norway

Purchase at Notebutikken

Fanfare and Choral, by Norwegian composer and organist Egil Hovland is our Composition of the Week.

Fanfare and Choral is grandiose in style and conception. Commissioned by the St. Olaf Band, USA, in 1966, it was premiered at the Bergen International Festival that same year.

Hovland has produced a version for symphony orchestra as well, the opus number 54b.

Fanfare and Choral is scored for standard wind band including timpani and six percussion parts. It has a duration of around 7’30.

Fanfare and Choral was performed at the 11th WASBE International Conference in Jönköping, Sweden, by the Nanset Wind Orchestra.

Egil Hovland was a prominent Norwegian composer and organist, widely recognized for his significant contributions to church and classical music. Hovland displayed remarkable musical talent from an early age.

He studied at the Oslo Conservatory of Music under Arild Sandvold and Bjarne Brustad, later continuing his education at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with Vagn Holmboe. Further studies took him to Tanglewood with Aaron Copland and to Florence with Luigi Dallapiccola. Influenced by composers such as Olivier Messiaen and Jean Sibelius, Hovland developed a distinctive and evolving style characterized by rich harmonies, expressive melodies, and innovative use of choral textures.

Throughout his prolific career, Hovland composed more than 400 works across diverse genres, including symphonies, chamber music, organ works, and numerous choral and sacred compositions. The latter were celebrated for their emotional depth and spiritual resonance.

Hovland served as organist and choir director at Glemmen Church in Fredrikstad from 1949 until his death, establishing himself as one of Norway’s most influential church musicians. He also worked as a conductor and lecturer, generously sharing his knowledge and passion for music with students and fellow musicians.

Stylistically, Hovland wrote in an impressive variety of idioms, including Norwegian-Romantic, Gregorian, neo-classical, twelve-tone, aleatoric, and serial techniques. His openness to experimentation and his ability to merge modern innovation with deep spiritual expression made him one of the most prolific and respected contemporary Norwegian composers of his time.

His achievements were widely recognized: in 1983 he was knighted into the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for his services to music, and in 1992 he received the Fritt Ord Honorary Award. In 2005, he was further honored with the St. Olav’s Order.

Egil Hovland’s legacy continues to inspire and enrich both Norwegian and international music, leaving an indelible mark on generations of composers, musicians, and audiences worldwide.

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Other works for winds include:

• Festoverture N°1 (1951)

• Festoverture N°2 (1962)

• Gloria Op.40 (1962) for mixed choir and brass

• 1968 Uppsandelsemässa Op.60, for mixed choir, 2 organs and brass.

• 1974 Kyrkans eviga lovsang Op.82, for three mixed choirs, organ, and brass.