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Three French Carols – Brass Quintet
From the glorious opening to the spirited succession of the carols, this arrangement will bring joy and celebration to your Christmas concert. The three carols are Noël Nouvelet, Pat-A-Pan and Il est né, le divin Enfant.
Performers:
Marissa Benedict, Larry Hall – Trumpet
Andrew Pelletier – Horn
Alex Iles – Trombone
Doug Tornquist – TubaComposer: Bill Reichenbach
Instrumentation: 2 Bb Trumpets – 1st doubling Piccolo Trumpet, F Horn, Trombone & Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 4:25 / 23 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A -
Tuba & 12 – Mixed Large Ensemble
Tuba & 12 was inspired by a Bedouin proverb that states: “While the words are yet unspoken, you are master of them; when once they are spoken, they are master of you.”
Proverbs, in general, state a general piece of advice. This piece assumed that words were spoken, resulting in tension and an apology. Relationships, the first movement, has brass vs. woodwinds, tonality vs. dissonance, duples vs. triplets, et al. as well as the synergy and cooperation among all. Unspoken Words is the second movement and the dissonant opening theme in the piccolo and flute is presented three times. The third movement is Resolution. Over a constant low pedal G, the horn ostinato adds tranquility as all the themes from the first two movements return in fragmented form, before all is finally resolved.
Although tuba has top billing in the title, each instrument is equally important.
The sample score shows the first page of each of the three movements. The complete recording is available for free.
Composer: Anne McGinty
Instrumentation: Piccolo, Flute, 2 Clarinets, Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, 2 Trumpets, 2 Horns, 2 Trombones & Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 11:00 / 75 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A -
Twas in the Moon of Wintertime – Brass Octet
This, the first Canadian Christmas carol, was originally written in the Huron language using the melody of a 16th century French carol, Une Jeune Pucelle. This arrangement is as expressive as the story it depicts and the plaintive melody is elegantly scored and always full of promise.
The lyrics are:
Twas in the moon of wintertime when all the birds had fled,
That mighty Gitchi Manitou sent angel choirs instead.
Before their light the stars grew dim,
And wand’ring hunters heard the hymn:
Jesus your king is born, Jesus is born.
In excelsis gloria!Performers:
Marissa Benedict, Larry Hall – Trumpet
Andy Pelletier, Bruce Hudson – Horn
Alex Iles, Andy Malloy – Trombone
Bill Reichenbach – Bass Trombone
Doug Tornquist – TubaComposer: Anne McGinty
Instrumentation: 2 Bb Trumpets, 2 F Horns, 2 Tenor Trombones, Bass Trombone & Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 5:00 / 16 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A -
Two Madrigals by William Byrd – Brass Quintet
William Byrd, 1539/40 – 1623, was the leading English composer of his generation, and was a protegé of Thomas Tallis. In 1575 Queen Elizabeth I granted them a monopoly for printing, publishing and selling music and music paper.
He wrote extensively for every medium then available, except lute. Byrd is beast known for the development of the English madrigal.
This arrangement by Bill Reichenbach remains faithful to Byrd’s original music, and the brass quintet instrumentation adds color and dynamic shading to intensify the expressive qualities of the music. The two madrigals are Though Amaryllis Dance In Green and In Fields Abroad.
The excerpt includes the full versions of both pieces. It’s midi, using Note Performer, and will give you a preview of what your brass quintet may sound like.
Composer: Bill Reichenbach
Instrumentation: 2 Bb Trumpets, F Horn, Trombone, Bass Trombone/Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 2:50 / 14 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A
