Unfinished parade - next steps

Something good always happens on a Thursday.

It's been a hard work week, and I'm a little dried up. Nevertheless, I managed to compose something in the hot evenings. I'm excited about how this piece is coming along, and therefore I want to step carefully. I've decided to let you guys share your thoughts on how this might go on, or critique what's already there. It would be heartily appreciated 😀

I think it sounds like a parade due to the rhythm and the sectionality; unfortunately that's not a word in English.

Note 1: The "end" is weird; I'm aware. It's a work in progress, and the very last part is just meant to suggest the bed of some kind of bridge (contrasting part) perhaps to come.

Note 2: This was made with Sample Modeling strings and flutes, Orange Tree Samples nylon guitar, and some built-in Kontakt basses and percussion.

@Hugget Zukker

I highly enjoyed it, especially the solo strings.

But I guess that's because I'm a folk fan?

Without the snare and heavy perc it's a European folk tune, without the strings (including guitar) it's a light march.

You got something between.

Probably "March of the Forest" or something.

I don't think that anything should be changed in this part, I really like it as it is.

Now to the fast part?

P.s! What cello vst is it? Is this plugin included in "Sample Modeling Strings"?

Thank you for the suggestion and the appreciation!

The violins, viola, and cello are all Sample Modelling. I used to think the SWAM strings were second rank, but I have warmed up to them.

I don't use a keyboard, but place notes off the grid, and draw curvy automations of dynamics, bow pressure, and bow position.

If you think that's a lot of work, you're right, but I enjoy "painting" music. I want to be a naturalistic music painter.

This has an European flavor, for sure. NOt only because of the soloist strings but also because of the minor (giypsy) modes you use.

I appreciate your method of painting music..

A really fine piece. The effort you put into composing – painting – shows. My only point of critique would be that towards 1:10 and at the end (ca. 2:00), you sequence a certain melodic pattern four times which always holds the danger of making music tedious. However, your instrumentation, rhythm and structure is really well done. I long for the day I could match these skills. 

Thank you all for the feedback, but I'm actually still struggling to write the rest of the piece. I believe that a contrasting section is appropriate at this point, and I'd like to modulate the way you hear at the end of the unfinished piece, but no matter what I try to write, it seems too different from the rest. Should I reuse melodic material? I feel like it's already exhausted. It's like my structural sense is only developed to a certain point, and once I push beyond that everything feels off.