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.

Instrumental Duet,Piano Alto Saxophone,Cello,Instrumental Duet,Piano - Level 5 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1021983

Composed by Mark Engebretson. 20th Century,Contemporary. 63 pages. Effiny Music #6269039. Published by Effiny Music (A0.1021983).

Hockney, or Performance as Painting for alto saxophone, cello and piano.  Hockney was commissioned on behalf of Vandoren by DANSR Incorporated for Sean Miller, the Vandoren Emerging Artist Prize Winner 2019. The premiere performance was presented as part of the Chamber Music National Festival by Sean Miller (saxophone), Shu-Li Cheah (cello) and Matt Umphries (piano) at the Vandoren Showcase Chamber Music Concert held at the Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis, Indiana on March 14, 2019.

Hockney uses special techniques on the cello like chop, crunch, feedback, and fingerboard slap and saxophone techniques like slap tongue, multiphonics, and tone color changes. 

Duration: ca. 11:00

Concert Band - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.870387

Composed by Randy A. Steinberg. Contemporary,Folk. Score and parts. 181 pages. Randy A. Steinberg #1932601. Published by Randy A. Steinberg (A0.870387).

This work commemorates the founding and settlement of the western United States. The piece consists of a number of musical episodes that evoke key historic milestones that took place as the west developed and grew over time. The work opens with a fanfare tribute to the mountains and valleys that were first seen by those arriving there. The fanfare starts out majestically and leads into a chorale tune that evokes the calmness of the river and the greenery around it. The clock then moves to a later time when the area was settled by bands of Indian tribes, dwellings and villages. This then melds into tribal life along the river and growth of the Indian culture. Suddenly, the sound of Indian raiding tribes is heard. This then settles down and Pioneer Wagon Trains are heard heading west, their wheels stumbling through mud and rock. In comes the U.S. Calvary. Trumpet calls are heard as the Calvary advances and eventually overcome the Indians, pushing them out of the west. The choral tune heard earlier is brought back which then leads to the sounds of the first trains heading west. As more and more trains arrive, the sound of towns and cities sprouting up is heard. At this point, the music gains momentum as more and more settlers arrive. Dance hall music can suddenly be heard followed by a segment that evokes the building of farms and raising of livestock. The music picks up into the 20th century culminating in a grand return of the opening River Valley fanfare heard at the start of the piece. A popular piece that resonates well with audiences bringing them a spirit of renewal and hope that they will find most uplifting.