Royal Hunt

At the turn of this century, it was the habit of all the royal families of Europe to gather annually for social and state occasions. The great houses of England, Austria, Spain, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, et al,were in reality one clan, since royal blood was only bred to royal blood in those days.

At these fashionable assemblies, matches were made, courtships begun, hunts were staged, balls, dinners and receptions filled thenights, and intrigue was rampant. Sarajevo, a city in central Yugoslavia, provided the setting for the royal outing in the spring of 1914. Pomp and splendor attended the ruling heads of state who officiated at ceremonies and ledparades. All this magnificence is captured in Morton Gould's 'Sarajevo Suite,' written originally for a CBS documentary television series entitled 'World War I.'

This adaptation for Concert Band wasmade from the composer's original score by Louis Brunelli.