Mystic Trumpeter, The

SKU: PR.165001000

ISBN 9781491129241. UPC: 680160669776. 9 x 12 inches.

Commissioned for a consortium of high school and college bands in the north Dallas region, FOR THEMYSTIC HARMONY is a 10-minute inspirational work in homage to Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon,patrons of the Fort Worth Symphony and the Van Cliburn Competition. Welcher draws melodic flavorfrom five American hymns, spirituals, and folk tunes of the 19th century. The last of these sources toappear is the hymn tune For the Beauty of the Earth, whose third stanza is the quatrain: “For the joy of earand eye, For the heart and mind’s delight, For the mystic harmony, Linking sense to sound and sight,”giving rise to the work’s title.
This work, commissioned for a consortium of high school bands in the north Dallas area, is my fifteenth maturework for wind ensemble (not counting transcriptions). When I asked Todd Dixon, the band director whospearheaded this project, what kind of a work he most wanted, he first said “something that’s basically slow,” butwanted to leave the details to me. During a long subsequent conversation, he mentioned that his grandparents,Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon, were prime supporters of the Fort Worth Symphony, going so far as to purchase anumber of high quality instruments for that orchestra. This intrigued me, so I asked more about his grandparentsand was provided an 80-page biographical sketch. Reading that article, including a long section about theirdevotion to supporting a young man through the rigors of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition fora number of years, moved me very much. Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon weren’t just supporters of the arts; theywere passionate lovers of music and musicians. I determined to make this work a testament to that love, and tothe religious faith that sustained them both. The idea of using extant hymns was also suggested by Todd Dixon,and this 10-minute work is the result.I have employed existing melodies in several works, delving into certain kinds of religious music more than a fewtimes. In seeking new sounds, new ways of harmonizing old tunes, and the contrapuntal overlaying of one tunewith another, I was able to make works like ZION (using 19th-century Revivalist hymns) and LABORING SONGS(using Shaker melodies) reflect the spirit of the composers who created these melodies, without sounding likepastiches or medleys. I determined to do the same with this new work, with the added problem of employingmelodies that were more familiar. I chose five tunes from the 19th century: hymns, spirituals, and folk-tunes.Some of these are known by differing titles, but they all appear in hymnals of various Christian denominations(with various titles and texts). My idea was to employ the tunes without altering their notes, instead using aconstantly modulating sense of harmony — sometimes leading to polytonal harmonizations of what are normallysimple four-chord hymns.The work begins and ends with a repeated chime on the note C: a reminder of steeples, white clapboard churchesin the country, and small church organs. Beginning with a Mixolydian folk tune of Caribbean origin presentedtwice with layered entrances, the work starts with a feeling of mystery and gentle sorrow. It proceeds, after along transition, into a second hymn that is sometimes connected to the sea (hence the sensation of water andwaves throughout it). This tune, by John B. Dykes (1823-1876), is a bit more chromatic and “shifty” than mosthymn-tunes, so I chose to play with the constant sensation of modulation even more than the original does. Atthe climax, the familiar spiritual “Were you there?” takes over, with a double-time polytonal feeling propelling itforward at “Sometimes it causes me to tremble.”Trumpets in counterpoint raise the temperature, and the tempo as well, leading the music into a third tune (ofunknown provenance, though it appears with different texts in various hymnals) that is presented in a sprightlymanner. Bassoons introduce the melody, but it is quickly taken up by other instruments over three “verses,”constantly growing in orchestration and volume. A mysterious second tune, unrelated to this one, interrupts it inall three verses, sending the melody into unknown regions.The final melody is “For the Beauty of the Earth.” This tune by Conrad Kocher (1786-1872) is commonly sung atThanksgiving — the perfect choice to end this work celebrating two people known for their generosity.Keeping the sense of constant modulation that has been present throughout, I chose to present this hymn in threegrowing verses, but with a twist: every four bars, the “key” of the hymn seems to shift — until the “Lord of all, toThee we praise” melody bursts out in a surprising compound meter. This, as it turns out, was the “mystery tune”heard earlier in the piece. After an Ivesian, almost polytonal climax, the Coda begins over a long B( pedal. At first,it seems to be a restatement of the first two phrases of “For the Beauty” with long spaces between them, but it soonchanges to a series of “Amen” cadences, widely separated by range and color. These, too, do not conform to anykey, but instead overlay each other in ways that are unpredictable but strangely comforting.The third verse of “For the Beauty of the Earth” contains this quatrain:“For the joy of ear and eye, –For the heart and mind’s delightFor the mystic harmonyLinking sense to sound and sight”and it was from this poetry that I drew the title for the present work. It is my hope that audiences and performerswill find within it a sense of grace: more than a little familiar, but also quite new and unexpected.

SKU: OU.9780193557970

ISBN 9780193557970. 12 x 8 inches.

For trumpet in B flat and soprano A setting of Walt Whitman's The Mystic Trumpeter (1872), in which the trumpeter (positioned off stage, or otherwise out of sight) imitates and echoes the soprano's melismatic treatment of the words.

SKU: TM.09719SC

No score.

SKU: SU.80101343

Solstice Sonata (2013) for trumpet and organ was commissioned by the American Guild of Organists for its 2014 Biennial National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. It was premiered on June 24, 2014 at the Memorial Church, Harvard University, by trumpeter Chris Gekker and organist Christian Lane. At the solstice (summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern), the sun is directly aligned with the tropical latitude lines, and the longest day of the year occurs (marking the start of summer). This sonata is music of celebration and contemplation, taking the inspiration of the longest day as a starting place for both meditation both thoughtful and joyous. Take Flight soars and leaps with vigor-perhaps the image of a hang-glider's journey over a dramatic landscape under the late evening sun. The Dream of Peace is lyrical and passionate; it is perhaps night music of reflection and intensity. Glittering, Aglow begins with quiet, mystical music: a gradual awakening. A vibrant, syncopated dance breaks out, is interrupted by the quiet music again, and returns to push forward to a vibrant conclusion. The new season has begun.Instrumentation: Trumpet and Organ. Composed: 2013 Published by: Zimbel Press.

SKU: CY.CC2945

ISBN 9790530057643.

Holst's 7-movement Suite, The Planets was written between 1914-16 and its first version was scored for two pianos except for the Neptune movement, which was written for organ alone. The music is the first ever composed with a fade-away ending using a womens' chorus. Later, Holst completed his orchestration of the 7-movement Suite, which has become one of the most popular works in the repertoire.
Mr. Sauer has brilliantly scored this movement of about nine minutes in length for 14-part brass ensemble with Timpani and Glockenspiel. This concludes his arranging of the complete suite for Large Brass Ensemble. The entire 7-movement Suite is also available for sale as a complete set on our website.
Instrumentation is for:
4 Trumpets in C
4 Horns in F
3 Trombones
Euphonium, Tuba
Timpani and Glockenspiel
This music is appropriate for advanced performers.

SKU: PR.416415150

ISBN 9781598069020. UPC: 680160621743. 9 x 12 inches.

Inspired by the alluring, human-like sound of the Ney (a Persian bamboo flute), Ranjbaran aims not only to highlight the modern flutist’s ability to play agile and brilliant passages, but also to emulate the delicate sound of the Ney, particularly in extended solo passages. The three-movement 27-minute concerto was commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra for its principal flutist Jeffrey Khaner. The piano reduction (published separately) was designed by the composer to be practical in recital performances. CONCERTO for Flute and Orchestra has been recorded for Naxos by Érik Gratton with the Nashville Symphony conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero.
The melancholic tone of the Ney (the Persian bamboo flute) is known for its alluring sound, emulating the human voice.  In Persian literature, the Ney is considered a mystic instrument capable of expressing deep human emotions.In writing my flute concerto, I aimed not only to highlight the modern flautist’s ability to play agile and brilliant passages but also to emulate the delicate sound of the Ney, particularly in extended solo flute passages.Two prominent characters permeate the first movement of my concerto.  They are marked in the score as lamentoso, and con spirito, expressing grief and loss, and joy of living respectively.  The lament is mostly expressed in several extended cadenzas for solo flute while the con spirito consists of robust and energetic fast sections played by all forces of the orchestra.  Apart from these two characters there are moments of mystery, comedy and the grotesque, among others.In the second movement, the lyrical and poetic character of the flute is prominently presented in dream-like passages surrounded by shimmering and tender orchestral colors.  The solo flute is left out in an agitated middle section that references the first movement.  In the third section of the movement the solo flute returns in meditative fashion culminating in a duet with the harp.The third movement is written as one continuous quasi scherzo, challenging the limits of agility and brilliance of the flute.  Some of the materials from the earlier movements are presented again with joyous character.  The coda elevates the concerto into its brightest and most festive character, driving to the end with relentless energy.