“Philadelphia Morning” is a powerfully expressive composition that sets the tone for a scene early in the movie Rocky when the main character has just found out the he will get to fight the world champion boxer and sets out for a training run in the gritty city streets of Philadelphia at 4 a.m. on a dark, cold, dreary winter day. (click here to see a clip of this scene from the movie) 

This beautifully written piece is penetrating and pensive in describing the battle within, the solitude of it, the impossibility at hand, and generally, the struggle involved in pushing oneself. There is a powerful but subtle orchestration here; the sound of a kind of musical undertow — an undertow that is pulling our hero down, as if giving him leaden legs, or of running in quicksand. But there is also a twinkle of possibility.  At the end, the [music] trails off and there is uncertainty in the air.” [From:  Jack Doyle, “Philadelphia Morning: 1976-1977,” PopHistoryDig.com, March 25, 2015.]

This brass quintet arrangement of Philadelphia Morning would work well as a short concert piece that showcases the expressive qualities of the French horn as well as that of the whole ensemble. This piece has a quiet, pensive, somewhat moody tempermanent. While this arrangement is not technically challenging (other than the range for the horn part noted below), the lean scoring and soft dynamics requires the ensemble to pay close attention to balance and play as one in style, tone quality, and expressiveness.  Phrases passing from one player to another need to flow as if being played on a piano.  

The expressive opening eight-bar horn solo, which is a direct transcription from the movie score, is mostly unaccompanied and ranges up to a high b-flat so a strong, confident horn player is needed – but they will surely enjoy playing this elegantly written passage.  (The film soundtrack recording features Vincent DeRosa on horn.)    

The bass trombone part can be played on a tuba.