Good Christian Men Rejoice

A traditional brass quintet with opt. trumpet for horn and extra baritone for use as a sextet. The introduction uses extraneous material where it leads in the first theme by the trombone until the theme is passed around in fragments until the them is taken over by the trumpets, and the trombones. A modulation takes place where the theme is in the trombones with flourishes in the trumpets. The trumpets now take the theme with flourishes in the middle voices until the piece ends with a declamatory statement.

A woodwind quintet with opt. parts for Alto Sax and Bass Clar. This piece presents itself with a sense of joy throughout with the introduction itself in a motivic manner setting the tone. The melody is fragmented, passing the tune around to the various voices. The middle section mirrors the introduction in texture and again passes melodic material around the different voices. The final section is more subdued until it starts stacking the motifically structured parts until it ascends to a dramatic conclusion.

2-trp; hn; 2-trb; opt: Trp.III; BH-TC; tba

A woodwind quartet for Flute, oboe, and two clarinets with optional parts for flute and alto sax. Plus a set of fifth parts for bassoon or bass clarinet can allow for the piece being a quintet. The first statement is in the clarinets where it leads into a full ensemble passing the lines amongst the parts. A delightful little segue leads to a modulation where the tune is in the lower lines alternated with flourishes in the flutes. This Alternating texture carries on for some time. Then the tempo picks up for a vibrant exclamation where the theme is once again bantered about where it makes one final boast and concludes.

A traditional brass quintet with opt. trumpet for horn and extra baritone for use as a sextet. The piece takes off immediately with a thematic statement in the trombone, breaking in a duet with the horn. Additional entries keep massing in the lower voices until most of the ensemble is involved. All of a sudden, the upper brass, silently present the tune in block harmonies until the lower brass present a countermelody. Now! Everybody’s involved. Next, a dialog between the upper brass and middle brass takes place as it alternates back and forth. With a modulation in place the tempo goes slow, the tune is in the lower brass- expressive! All of a sudden from bottom to top motives are presented- in stacked chords…. This goes through different transformations until the piece elevates into an uplifting conclusion.