Canadian Brass hit the jackpot back in 2011 when they reimagined one of classical music’s most recognizable pieces in a brand new style.

The band recreated Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s infamous and legendary, ‘Flight of the Bumblebee,’ in a five-piece brass band setting, making the piece sound like a true rumble of bumblebees in the process!

Music Man readers can check out Canadian Brass’s short rendition in the viral video above – it’s already racked up more than 7.7 million views to date!

‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ is one of those classical pieces we’ve all heard about a hundred times before, often played on piano, violin, or flute as a show-stopping demonstration of speed, skill, and musical dexterity.

But Canadian Brass twist this common theme found among modern performances, performing the piece not as a show-off gimmick, but gracing it with the respect it truly deserves.

Translating the opera tune to their brass band quintet was a bold and innovative choice in itself. Yet the payoff was magnificent, as the hectic, fluttering tones of the trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba perfectly recreate the sound of a buzzing beehive, or a swarm of tiny beasts partaking in a Looney Toons-style chase scene.

A tuba, played by Chuck Daellenbach, lays the piece’s bass notes for the chaotic top line to dance over, voiced by two incredible trumpeters, Chris Coletti and Brandon Ridenour. Trombonist Achilles Liarmakopoulos and horn player Eric Reed flesh out the mid-tones of the track, delivering a majestically vintage feel to the piece.

But why did the band choose this track? According to this viral video’s official YouTube description, it was trumpeter Brandon who wrote this brand new brass band arrangement, inspired by an arrangement he and his father Rich had previously written for their own trumpet and piano arrangement.

Canadian Brass’ quintet arrangement proved so great that they even named and opened their album, ‘Canadian Brass Takes Flight’ after the piece – a record which was nominated for the Juno Classical Album of the Year award in 2013. To date, Canadian Brass have released an eye-watering 130 albums, the quintet having formed all the way back in 1970, with Chuck Daellenbach being the only remaining original member.

The band don’t trap themselves within the realms of classical music, though. They’ve also covered the likes of The Beatles, Lady Gaga, and even a few Christmas tunes, all of which can be found over on their YouTube page!

Canadian Brass struck gold in 2011 with their brass-powered take on Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee, a viral clip that’s amassed over 7.7 million views. Their mischievous, high-octane arrangement proves why they remain a perennial crowd-pleaser. To hear more from this extraordinary ensemble and discover related content, check out the useful links below.