Bass Trombone and Wind Band

with Wind Band

Bass Trombone player Rose DoyleMason and I discussed creating a solo piece for Bass Trombone with wind band accompaniment several years before the piece came to light in 2023.  Her vision was to use Irish folks songs, which reflected her heritage, to create a fun but challenging composition to show off the virtuosity of the bass trombone.  She provided more than a dozen songs to consider, and taught me a great deal about modern Irish folk songs in the process.  From her suggestions, and other research, I chose two songs to form the basis of the composition.  The song “Star of County Down” has been recorded by a number of Irish groups, with a lot more variation between the recordings than I would have imagined.  The lyrics describe the romantic pursuit of a particularly attractive Irish girl, who is described as the “star” of County Down, located in Northern Ireland.  My son, Stephen, shared with me a recording by a band called “The High Kings”, from their album Memory Lane, that shifted effortlessly between 6/8 and cut time, punctuated by 3 repeated chords at each transition.  This recording fired my imagination and the composition process began!  You can hear these transition chords in “Gaelic Rhapsody”, as we move across the time signatures.  Rose suggested a beautiful Irish ballad called “A Chomaraigh Aoibhinn O” for inclusion in the lyrical section of the piece.  The title, and the words are in Gaelic, written by a priest to describe the Comeragh Mountains in County Waterford in Ireland.  There is a beautiful rendition by folk singer Karan Casey available on YouTube.  I am thrilled that Dr. Paul Bauer will serve as the soloist for the premiere of this piece, scheduled for April 2024.  Dr. Bauer was the chairman of the music department at NIU when I was hired in 2005, and I have been grateful for his leadership and friendship ever since.  Likewise, I am grateful to my wonderful students at NIU, and specifically the members of the Wind Ensemble, whose talent and skill will bring the premiere to life.  

Thanks also to the sponsors listed below, who believed in this project enough to support it financially.  

 

Thomas Bough

February, 2024 

Sponsors: 

Rose Doylemason  

Chris Allen, Mankato Symphony 

Tim Foley 

Dr. Steve Wilson, UTEP 

Daniel James Cosio

Dr. Paul Bauer

Jeff Dee 

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Originally for bass trombone (or tuba) and piano, was composed for Charles Vernon, bass trombonist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the 30th Anniversary of the International Trombone Festival. This significant addition to the repertoire is written in an accessible modern style. The musical language is sophisticated, yet appealing to general audiences. Illuminations is cast in 2 contrasting movements: The first, Reverie, is contemplative and lyrical. Beautiful, expansive melodic lines are woven into a gentle, almost mystical, musical fabric. The second movement, Urban Lights, is an energetic rondo that is strongly influenced by jazz, and in one section, funk music. “Thoughtful, tuneful, and rewarding to perform.” – ITA Journal Learn More

CONCERTO

“War Games”

I. Toy Soldiers

II. Courtship

III. Marriage

IV. Capture the Flag

I commissioned this concerto in honor of Maestro Charles Schneider, the founding music director of Glimmerglass Opera and recently retired conductor of four symphony orchestras in upstate New York: Schenectady, Catskill (Oneonta), Utica, and Clinton. Maestro Schneider gave me my first job when I moved to the area. In addition to the symphonies and opera, I enjoyed playing under Chuck’s direction for a wide variety of one-nighters with famous musicians, Broadway shows at the Orpheus Theater, and with two ballet companies. His impact on the musical life of Central New York over the past five decades is incalculable. He is currently putting the finishing touches on his own opera, Skaters.

Barbara York likes to find inspiration for her compositions in the life of the person who places the commission, thus the subtitle War Games, taken from my avid interest in tabletop board games.

Toy Soldiers paints a vivid picture of plastic men come to life, patrolling the house after dark, then returning to their game box as the skies begin to brighten.

Courtship and Marriage speak to the sometimes not so subtle “battle of the sexes” we often experience in our relationships.

When I first heard the synthesized sound file for Courtship, I was delighted by its 19th-century parlor music flavor. Ms. York later explained that she wanted to capture the courtship scenes in my Civil War novel, The Unfinished Work. She succeeded beautifully! The movement opens with Jake’s heartfelt emotions as he awaits the arrival of his beloved. When she arrives, a minor dispute breaks out: “I thought you said….” Jake splutters his defense but is cut off with her, “Did too!” Emotion released, his beloved turns to gentle flirtations; but after a brief interlude, her temper briefly flares once again. Jake calms her by pouring out his heart in music.

The mixed meters and minor key in Marriage keep the listener off balance and create a wonderful sense of intrigue: standard strategies from The Wife’s Game Plan?

Capture the Flag percolates with the energy and adrenaline rush of seeking to capture before being captured.

The piano edition was premiered by Frank Meredith and Charles Powers on May 31, 2019 at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Schenectady, NY.

The band edition was premiered by Frank Meredith and the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble; Andrew Pease, conductor; November 17, 2019 in Oneonta, NY.

Frank Meredith

 

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