The Symphony for Brass and Percussion was composed as my Masters Thesis for Florida State University. It was inspired by a similar piece composed by my music theory professor, Dr. Charles Knox, who taught theory and composition at Georgia State University for many years.
Dr. Knox wrote interesting, accessible, yet modern works and my goal was to do the same with this piece. It took many months to compose the piece and almost as long to hand copy the score and parts. I have not yet had the opportunity to digitize this work with a scoring program, but it is on my list of things to do. Anyone who purchases this piece is automatically guaranteed to receive a digital version once available.
Although the piece has the sense of a work conceived in an academic setting, I think it is an interesting and very playable piece for large brass ensemble. It has a movie score flair, in my opinion and requires strong skills with mixed meters and non-tonal writing. If you are looking for a piece that will challenge the ears of your students, this should do it. Although the percussion parts are mostly supportive they are given some melodic motifs at times. The piece is score for four Bb trumpets, four horns in F, four trombones, one tuba and two percussion.
Performance time is approximately twelve minutes.
Although the piece was completed in 1982, it did not receive a premiere until 1991 when the Emory Brass Ensemble, conducted by Atlanta Symphony tubist, Michael Moore, programmed the work at Emory University in Atlanta. The recordings are from that performance.
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3
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