Horn,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1158392 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 20th Century,Chamber,Classical,Patriotic. 19 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #758673. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1158392). “Valor� offers a potent two-minute concert opener, or an attention grabber after intermission. It is also highly effective as an encore (depending on endurance, particularly of the first trumpeter and hornist), leaving the audience with a rush and energy typified by an effective encore. Besides some minor edits and formatting, the composition was completed the day I hit my ten-year anniversary of serving in the United States Air Force Bands—a fitting anthem to celebrate a decade of service to my wonderful country! The title settled the next day as I began my second decade as an Airman Musician: Valor. The best account is recorded in my personal journal on 27 April 2021: “[Valor] is the Thrower family motto from hundreds of years ago. It’s also a concept that helped get me into [Arizona State University] for my doctoral studies. [Professor] Hickman asked for a very difficult orchestral excerpt during my audition. [Béla Bartók’s “Concerto for Orchestra.�] I expressed some trepidation, but decided to give it a shot. I nailed it! Then Hickman turned to me with a big smile, ‘I give extra points for valor!’ So I’m pretty sure this little two-minute musical journal entry will keep the name ‘Valor’… as a motivational cheer for my next ten years in the Air Force. Valor! Great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle. Ok, in the face of life’s many battles, Valor it is! And on to the next ten years!� The music is in AA’BA’ form. The B section is heavily influenced by the thematic material of the A section, but with a strongly contrasting mood that could be dubbed quiet dignity. A finale section follows the last A with some motivic twists from throughout the piece, decisively ending with a power that could well be accompanied by a dazzling flurry of fireworks. None of the performers get much of a reprieve throughout the two minutes packed full of notes. The first trumpet part stays in the upper mid-range for most of it, which would absolutely sparkle on an E-flat trumpet (alternate part provided). Second trumpet is also demanding. The horn part demands a decent level of mastery in the high range as well as the low range, vehemently forsaking its traditional role of off beats. The trombone and tuba parts also present their challenges, and never really stop longer than to take a breath. Although this work could conceivably be performed without percussion, doing so is strongly discouraged. The power delivered by the snare, bass, and cymbals, and even the triangle in the B section, make the part arguably indispensable.

Brass Quintet Horn,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1303802 Composed by F. Leslie Smith. 21st Century,Chamber,Children,Historic,Multicultural,World. 77 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #893335. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.1303802).      A song learned in primary school years and years ago had words something along the lines of the following:          Oh!  I’m a young musician,          From distant lands I come.          Singing and playing,          Ever I’m straying.     Also known as “I Am a Fine Musician,� “I Am a Gay Musician� and perhaps other titles, that song is still around and has evolved into many different versions.  The original was probably a German folk song from the early 1800s.  As published in an 1889 collection of children’s songs, it bears the title, “Ich bin ein Musikant.�  That translates as “I am a musician.�  In the lyrics the musician claims to be “from Schwabenland� (Swabia) and to play geige (violin: “Dide schum schum schum�), flöte (flute: “Päde wäpp päpp päpp�) and basse (bass: “Dide schum schum schump, päde wäpp päpp päpp).  Later versions list the instruments played by the musician as bassoon, bells, clarinet, drum, guitar, piano, piccolo, triangle, trombone, trumpet, tuba, tympani, viola and just about every instrument and noisemaker you can think of.      Anyway, that’s the tune on which “The Brass Player� was built.  But here, the musician is concerned only with brass.  Which brass?  Well, possibly trumpet.  Or maybe horn in F.  Or trombone.  Or tuba.  Or perhaps all four; certainly, all are featured in this piece.     “The Brass Player� comprises four sections.  The first is in the key of C major and is played at a moderate 2/4 tempo.  After a brief Trumpet/Tuba ostinato, Trombone introduces the main theme.  Other instruments join in and play around with a variation or two.      The second section is a sweet, nostalgic rendition in 4/4 carried mainly by Horn in F, with help from Trumpets and Trombone.      In section three, the mood changes radically.  Time signature goes to 3/4; tempo speeds up to vivace and the key changes to B Minor.  All five instruments participate, and some odd things take place rhythmically at I through K (measures 200 through 262), but Tuba seems to carry the melody most of the time.     Section four, in G Major, clips along at a fast 4/4 time.  It returns to the main theme and (as in “Ich bin ein Musikant� and its multitudinous derivations) presents in call-and-response form.  The first few measures are straight, but discord quickly creeps in.  The melody begins to include smears, flutter tonguing and off-beat rhythmic figures.  There is even a brief section in G Minor.  Gradually, order and theme are restored and the piece ends in a glorious, upbeat statement.     This piece, completed in 2023, consists of 398 measures, a little over nine minutes in length.  There are four changes of key and four changes of time signature.  Trumpet 1’s highest note is A above its staff; Trombone’s is F above the staff.  Trumpet 2 has a few G-below-its-staff notes.     The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge.  He would like to receive your suggestions, comments, corrections and criticisms.  Contact him at lessmith61@bellsouth.net.  For more arrangements by Les, enter Sweetwater Brass Press (without the quotation marks) in the Sheet Music Plus or Sheet Music Direct search box.

Brass Ensemble - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.792096 Composed by van Deursen, John. World. Score and parts. 41 pages. Gordon Cherry #3429341. Published by Gordon Cherry (A0.792096). About the Taiwan Fantasia, van Deursen states: After having lived in Taipei for a number of years, I learned many of the local folk and popular songs. Some of the melodies are exceptionally beautiful, and my idea was to somehow combine all the elements that have made up my musical experiences over these years - Chinese melodies, western orchestral music and jazz; I wanted to see if these songs could survive with a totally different harmonic structure and concept. My original goal was to write a simple arrangement of the two songs, but quickly I discovered more melodies building upon the original ones and thus the Variations were born. Composed in 1995, this work of about 10 minutes in length is in one continuous movement, but is divided into seven short sections of contrasting moods including two cadenzas, for Trumpet and Trombone.  The music is appropriate for advanced performers. Parts in C and B-flat are supplied for the Trumpets. A recording of Taiwan Fantasia can be purchased on iTunes from the album by the Yeh Shu Han Brass Quintet.

Composed by Swedish folk tune. Arranged by Todd Marchand. Christian, Gospel, Sacred. Score, Set of Parts. 13 pages. Published by Con Spirito Music (S0.181021). - Score,Set of Parts - Christian,Gospel,Sacred - Con Spirito Music