Toccata Marziale

English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) is most noted for his compositions for orchestra, the theater, and chamber groups, but his works for band, like the Folk Song Suite and Toccata Marziale demonstrate his unrivaled skill in scoring for this medium. Together with the two Holst suites for band, this music forms a set which has become a traditional cornerstone of the concert band literature. Composed for the Commemoration of the British Empire Exhibition of 1924, the Toccata Marziale is a first-rate rate work by any measurement. (Source: Acton Osterling, Jr., University of Maryland)