SYMPATRIA – a concert march for wind band - was commissioned by leading conductor Walter Rescheneder for the Upper Austrian wind band association and the newspaper OÖ Nachrichten on the occasion of the contest "Best of Blasmusik". It was nominated as compulsory test piece at the contest finale for traditional band music in the great hall of the Brucknerhaus Linz on November 19, 2017. The title is a creation of two Latin words: "sym" (together) and "patria" (homeland), stating that home is less a question of geographical origin but rather a feeling of social belongingness. Home is were we feel at home.
Correlating with this idea, the first theme of the piece begins unisono and evolves after a few measures to a bright poliphonic sound. The same happens in the trio part, also developing a counterpoint melody in the fifth measure that originates in the octave of the melody. (see figure)
Johannes Peer wrote lyrics for the melody, trying to give the idea of home a new definition, leaving any propagandistic, nationalistic ideology aside and addressing the idea of human diversity as a part of a common home:
Der Schmäh is‘ un-ser Herz-bluat,
der Grant un-ser Ven-tü.
Su-dern kin-na ma guad
und ah so vü.
Gånz gleich, aus wel-chem Hoiz ma gschnitzt san,
pfeilgråd o-der ver-bog’n,
ål-le sam-ma vom sel-ben Bam,
den haut’s so schnell net um.“