Mountain Ascent, for trombone octet (6 tenor, 2 bass)
by Gina Gillie
$49
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Program and Performance Notes
Mountain Ascent is a programmatic work of four mini-movements depicting an alpine ascent. The first section sets the scene of a distant mountain in all of its majesty and provides much of the musical material that will develop throughout the piece. In the second section, listeners travel through meadows full of flowers and furry critters. Marmots, squirrels, and tiny birds chase one another and beg for food, lending a sense of merriment and excitement to the beginning of the ascent. Inevitably, things turn difficult and dangerous in the ice fields where wind, rocky outcroppings, and treacherous crevasses threaten the climb. In the end, the summit offers the joy of overcoming danger and the exhilaration of standing atop the peaks that were once only visible in the distance. The movements should be played semi-continuously, allowing for a breath between movements but not a break in the energy. The third movement is attacca into the fourth movement. In the third movement, players making wind sounds should blow through their instruments without buzzing and in imitation of winds that start quietly, increase in intensity, and then fade. To avoid accidently buzzing, players should remove the bottom lip from the mouthpiece. Acknowledgements and Awards This work was supported, in part, by funds provided by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. This work was commissioned by consortium members of the Carolina Trombone Ensemble Project as listed below: Consortium Lead, Dr. Jeremy A. Marks, University of North Carolina at Charlotte Dr. Karen Martson, Professor of Low Brass, Mt. San Anotonio College James Nova, Mary Pappert School of Music Duquesne University The Ohio State University Trombone Ensemble, The Ohio State University Boise State University Chris White, Director of Bands, Hickory Ridge High School University of South Carolina Trombone Association, Dr. Michael Wilkinson, University of South Carolina School of Music Doug Farwell, Valdosta State University Joseph Awad, MD, Bone Therapy Benjamin Yates, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Friends of the Humanities University of North Alabama Low Brass Ensemble, University of North Alabama Dr. Arie VandeWaa, University of South Alabama Eric Henson, Augusta Symphony Dr. Sean Scot Reed, Arkansas Tech University Trombone Choir J. Mark Whitfield, East Carolina University Stephen Ivany, California State University Fresno This work was the winner of the 2022 International Women's Brass Conference Composition Competition. Performance time: circa 10:10 |