Brass Quintet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489498 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 21st Century,Chamber,Historic,Instructional,Multicultural,World. 17 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066363. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489498). Rounding out the “American Trails” with the fifth composition in the collection, “Trail of Tears” is in reference to the heart-wrenching dark history of over 60,000 American Indians being expelled from their lands.  During the period between 1830 and 1850, natives from five tribes were forcibly displaced from their homelands in what later became known as the American Deep South.  These “Five Civilized Tribes” included the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole nations.  Under the leadership of President Andrew Jackson, Congress passed the “Indian Removal Act” in 1830 which revoked all land ownership from all Native Americans in the Southeast.  Although Jackson was not the originator of the movement to remove the Indians, it was his top legislative priority upon taking office.  In his mind, they were a primary obstacle for the fulfillment of the Manifest Destiny and American national success.  There were many opponents to the violent legislation, such as David Crockett of Tennessee and Catherine Beecher.The most brutal year of the Trail of Tears occurred in 1838 among the Cherokee who had resisted the Treaty of New Echota of 1836 through petitions and pleas to the US government.  Despite their efforts, the expulsive treaty was ratified and the resistant Cherokee were compelled by militia to vacate all lands east of the Mississippi River.  The heaviest death tolls occurred in the summer and winter months of 1838 after the deadline to depart had passed in May.  Disease, exposure, starvation, and harassment by frontiersman compounded the physical exertion of the “death marches” that killed many.This composition extensively borrows the four-note motif from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.  That symphony was composed in the early 1800s in Europe at the same time as the growth of the anti-Indian sentiment across the American frontier.  Rather than primary thematic material, “Trail of Tears” uses the motif as a morose, plodding accompanimental pattern that adds depth of sorrow to the musical homage.

Brass Quintet - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489511 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 21st Century,Chamber,Historic,Patriotic,Pop. 38 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066374. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489511). In 2022 the United States Air Force celebrated 75 years of air and space dominance since its creation in 1947.  The festivities and ceremonies surfaced throughout the nation all year.  This composition was crafted as one of those celebratory creations.  “Legacy of Valor” was originally composed for brass quintet and rock band, with two vocalists singing a stirring account of legacy handed down from one generation to another.  The lyrics are here:In my youth, I knew a manWho loved to talk about his history;Unfolded his mystery!He made me laugh about some things,And we cried about some others,And we prayed as we talked about his fallen brothers.As I grew, I though a lotAbout that man who told me stories—His woes and his glories.Something firm about his voiceInspired my skill to make a choice,To recall our defenders’ valiant sacrifice.As I wanted to be like this man,As I pondered and dreamedOf becoming what I can,I hoped to see the day, without delay,To defend, like my friend!When I took the oath,I remembered that man!How proud he would beOf his brand new Airman!I answered the call.I’ll give it my all!I will not falter!  I will not fail!I’m a guardian of the tradition of honor!Fly, fight, and win!When I hold my little boy,And think of freedoms he’ll enjoy,I ponder his destiny.Yes, it’s hard when I deploy!But distance cannot destroyWhat I love; what I fight so very hard to save!Generations come and go.I wish they all could knowHow it feels to serve America.The piece was difficult for the singers, but they practiced hard, and the USAF Heartland of America Band premiered it during an Independence Day concert tour in June and July 2022, including the grand patriotic concert at Mount Rushmore.A casual comment from one of the singers lingered: “You write for singers like they’re horns!”  It is true that most of my compositional experience is with brass instruments.  This double brass quintet instrumental rendition of “Legacy of Valor” is indeed a much more musically gratifying composition.  It is the way it was supposed to be all along!Released in 2023 for the 76th birthday of the Air Force, this work and its message are appropriate for any patriotic event, including joint performances between any two brass quintets, civilian or military, American or global.  Many stirring meanings can be communicated and celebrated through “Legacy of Valor”!

Brass Quintet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1243419 Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Arranged by Ander. Classical,Opera,Romantic Period. 15 pages. Woods Only, Arrangements #838384. Published by Woods Only, Arrangements (A0.1243419). This adaptation was intended for a small group of brass quintet, where the original essence of the piece was kept, however, with a reduction in the duration, where only the main themes of the opening were extracted. As it is simplified, it is intended for beginner students of instrumental music who want to enter orchestral music, even in a simplified and reduced form, and can be used by music teachers with their students in ensemble practice in situations such as academic recitals, didactic concerts, or assessment tests.The Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, known as the Symphony of Destiny, by Ludwig van Beethoven, written between 1804 and 1808, is one of the most popular and best known compositions in the entire repertoire of European music. The four movements are characterized by orchestral homogeneity, being, at the same time, an example of alternation: the first movement, revealing great tension, denounced by the strings and raised to an extreme drama; the second movement reveals solemnity, in a funeral march that rises by its emotion and beauty; the third movement, a crispness; the fourth movement expresses triumph and magnificence.

Euphonium,Horn,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.760817 By Destiny's Child. By Beyonce Knowles, Kandi L. Burruss, Kelendria Rowland, Kevin Briggs, and LeToya Luckett. Arranged by Matthew Nunes. Chamber,Film/TV,Hip-Hop,Pop,R & B. 26 pages. Matthew Nunes Music #367908. Published by Matthew Nunes Music (A0.760817). Bills, Bills, Bills by Destiny's Child, arranged for Brass Quintet. Transposed up one half-step.