Search results for: 'Sailor's song'

with Wind Band (also available with Piano accompaniment)

This work was commissioned by Timothy Northcut in honor of Winston Morris, professor of tuba and euphonium at Tennessee Tech University since 1967. Among many others, his former students—both Tim and I included—call him a mentor, friend, and genuine hero to the tuba-euphonium world. Anyone who’s met Winston knows that he’s a larger-than-life character, and our goal was to capture a snapshot of that character within the piece.

The first movement, RWM, is constructed from a rhythmic motive that forms the basis of the entire work: 1/4 note followed by 4 1/8 notes

This motive, based on the name ‘R. Winston Morris’, becomes the driving force throughout the work, acting as a musical anchor point. The entrance of the solo tuba introduces the main musical theme that goes on to form much of the melodic material. Conceptually, the first movement represents a day in September of 1967 as Morris began his career at Tennessee Tech University. Beginning with a gentle, noble theme, the mood quickly builds and shifts into an energetic and sometimes whimsical whirlwind. The end of the movement relentlessly hammers out the motive—a tribute to Winston’s unrelenting musical drive. This abruptly shifts with the final note, moving seamlessly into the second movement.

The second movement, Sweet Steel, is dedicated in loving memory to Barbara “Bobbie” Morris. Although the tone is very dark and brooding, it’s ultimately a love song by the soloist, journeying through the stages of grief. From the darkness a second theme, hopeful and uplifting, rises to a heartfelt climax.

The final movement, Cookevegas, is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Cookeville, TN, home of Winston and Tennessee Tech University. His love of jazz is a major influence on this hectic, jazzy trip through the small Southern city. A return of the driving ‘RWM’ motive from the first movement brings the concerto to its finale.

Recording is from the premiere with the U.S. Army Band:

https://www.usarmyband.com/tuba/index.html

with Piano

This work was commissioned by Timothy Northcut in honor of Winston Morris, professor of tuba and euphonium at Tennessee Tech University since 1967. Among many others, his former students—both Tim and I included—call him a mentor, friend, and genuine hero to the tuba-euphonium world. Anyone who’s met Winston knows that he’s a larger-than-life character, and our goal was to capture a snapshot of that character within the piece.

The first movement, RWM, is constructed from a rhythmic motive that forms the basis of the entire work: 1/4 note followed by 4 1/8 notes

This motive, based on the name ‘R. Winston Morris’, becomes the driving force throughout the work, acting as a musical anchor point. The entrance of the solo tuba introduces the main musical theme that goes on to form much of the melodic material. Conceptually, the first movement represents a day in September of 1967 as Morris began his career at Tennessee Tech University. Beginning with a gentle, noble theme, the mood quickly builds and shifts into an energetic and sometimes whimsical whirlwind. The end of the movement relentlessly hammers out the motive—a tribute to Winston’s unrelenting musical drive. This abruptly shifts with the final note, moving seamlessly into the second movement.

The second movement, Sweet Steel, is dedicated in loving memory to Barbara “Bobbie” Morris. Although the tone is very dark and brooding, it’s ultimately a love song by the soloist, journeying through the stages of grief. From the darkness a second theme, hopeful and uplifting, rises to a heartfelt climax.

The final movement, Cookevegas, is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Cookeville, TN, home of Winston and Tennessee Tech University. His love of jazz is a major influence on this hectic, jazzy trip through the small Southern city. A return of the driving ‘RWM’ motive from the first movement brings the concerto to its finale.

Recording is from the premiere with the U.S. Army Band:

https://www.usarmyband.com/tuba/index.html

with Piano

Shawn E. Okpebholo’s Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra was premiered by Steven Mead at the 35th International Tuba and Euphonium Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio in June of 2008. The composer has this to write bout the piece:

“The first movement, “Windows,” was inspired when I was looking out of several windows one afternoon and noticing different scenes. While many different events were happening simultaneously, all seemed to be working in sync.

Movement II, “Invitation to Music,” is a re-orchestration of a movement of a song cycle I composed for soprano, clarinet, and piano. The song cycle, On Music, was set to the poetry of Beatrice Holz:

When music’s magic joins the wordsmith’s inspiration,
and crafted intuition transmutes poet’s art to song,
a wedding of miraculous dimension
invites our brief excursion to a spiritual realm
where music’s elements and time ephemeral
strive to be merged as one eternal bond.

“Guanabacoa,” the title of Movement III, is the name of a small town near Havana, Cuba where Afro-Cuban music is prominent, and where Ernesto Lecuona, a Cuban composer known for his Afro-Cuban music, was born. Lecuona’s composition, La Comparsa, uses a very distinct Afro-Cuban rhythm that is the basis of this movement.

From Paul Chauvin, these low brass duets* are based on famous songs or nursery rhymes. They are fun, quirky, not too serious and challenging. *part 1 has both a treble and bass clef part

1. Doodling

2. Race de Camp

3. Old Mac

4. Free Mice

5. The Weasel Popped! 

2 Euphoniums and Tuba

from “Cavalleria Rusticana”

with Piano

Elegie, or elegy, refers to a song expressing sorrow or lamentation for someone deceased. More simply, a sad song. Vieuxtemp’s Elegie, Op. 30 was composed in 1854 originally for viola and piano. Transcriptions by the composer for violin and cello followed. This arrangement is set for euphonium and piano. It allows the soloist to show off their beautiful tone and fluidity in expressive phrases throughout. While the piece as a whole is not technically challenging, there are moments of virtuosity that require skilled technique and delicacy for the soloist and accompanist. The cadenza and “a piacere” sections are purposefully left without directional phrasing for the soloist to develop their own interpretation. There is one brief opportunity of extending technique for the soloist to utilize multiphonics.

with Piano

Elegy (a mournful lament, poem or song for a dead person) was composed in memory of Taylor Roland, a wonderful, gentle, and much admired man who played tuba with the Boston University Alumni Concert Band and who died suddenly while only in his mid-forties.

His passing was particularly sad since he had just been married the week before he died. Members of the band and I as conductor wanted to acknowledge him in some special way; this composition was the result. It was first performed by the BU Alumni Band and with Taylor?s tearful widow in the audience.

The tuba itself, like other deep bass instruments, is usually not known or regarded as an instrument with an outstanding capacity for great lyrical abilities as a solo instrument, especially when compared to instruments like the ?cello, violin, or any of the other upper voiced string or wind instruments. Yet a fine player who has the capacity for rich melodic playing can prove that the instrument itself is capable of rich expression. That stated, this work in performance can be the very poignant moment it is intended to convey.

Alternate Euphonium or Trombone solo parts provided.

1. An den Fruling (To Spring)
2. Die Nacht (The Night)
3. Der Entfernten (The Entfernten)
4. Fischerlied (Fisher Song)
5. Grab und Mood (The Grave and the Moon)
6. Der Geistertanz (The Spirit Dance)
7. Junglingswonne
8. Leise, leise labt uns singen (Quiet Ones, let us Sing Quietly)
9. Rauberlied (Robber's Song)
10. Trinklied (Drinking Song)
11. Zum Rundetanz (To the Round Dance)