Trombone Ensemble

In Time was composed January 1st 2007 and premiered later that month by the Capital University Trombone choir at the Indiana IMEA conference. It was composed in honor of my mother Virginia Schwan Zugger who died of cancer July 2006. Her mothers name was Lina McGinty, part of my half Irish heritage. It is an Irish Air composed from memories of the lullaby’s my mother sang to us when we were children.

The lead is actually in trombone one and that voice should drive both the dynamic and the phrasing. Alto trombone is an obbligato line and is good for inexperienced players as it centers around Eb. The work can be performed one on a part without conductor, or with a much larger group with conductor. It is a song of love and loss and should be played with that feeling. Learn More

4 or 5 Trombones and Organ ad. lib Learn More

Midnight Sounds, which subtitled An Alaskan Portrait, was composed in 2008 after traveling to Alaska. The extraordinary scenery Resurrection Bay and Denali National Park was inspiring. The piece is in four sections: introduction, allegro, moderato and allegro/coda. The opening motive is based on the open fourth and fifth interval. That motive is passed throughout the ensemble and is also altered to create the melody of the allegro. Every vista in Alaska is larger than life, space is abundant everywhere. I’ve tried to capture that space and beauty using the most resonant of all instruments! Learn More