Higher Ground

A standard brass quintet with optional trumpet for horn. As one might expect the piece is cheerful from beginning to end. After a bright intro, the trumpet carry the tune until handed over to the middle voices with flourishes in the trumpets. After a transition that leads upward to an exciting climax. The piece abruptly shits to a quiet and expressive section lead by the trombone on the theme where it all builds to another zenith and once again abruptly goes quiet. A modulation and meter shift and the piece becomes countrapuntally gentle.. A meter shift back to the beginning and an exuberant building to a joyous conclusion.

This woodwind quintet (with opt. parts) is constantly on the move. While the melodic material is always made aware, the accompanying parts are full of movement. Even with metrical changes there is a constant flow giving a sense confidence and resolve. It bubbles from beginning to end and finally makes a solid statement of assurance.

(opt sextet)

This quintet (opt. Sextet) begins with extraneous motifs leading into the first statement of the theme in the low brass offset by answering material in the trumpets. The pieces continues in this question and answer texture passing motivic material around the parts. Then in a transition mimicking the beginning a modulation takes place where the theme is more expressive and becomes more aggressive leading up to a majestic coda where it ends on a thought-provoking conclusion.