The Lord’s My Shepherd

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 an optional baritone part which allows to be a sextet as well. The beginning is active establishing a happy beginning to the piece. Then all the parts are in straight harmonies and then become fragmented. A modulation takes place allowing the lower voices to carry the tune. Then a tuba sola solo commences with light upper parts decorating the lines, until the parts fragment. This concludes with a modulation with motivic statements. After a brief intermission the piece takes off again with the tune in the lower voices and the trumpets add a flurry descants. As the piece comes to a close more and more voices add to the mix until the pieces adds a solid, grand 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 piece passes through several modulations where the upper voices carry the melodic material while the lower voices support the ensemble with strength. The writing of this arrangement is well crafted to take advantage of the “woodwind quintet sounds.” It continues that way right up to the very end with a declamatory statement of “Mercy.”

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.

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.