Concerto for Trombone (Wilson)

Dana Wilson

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General Info

Year: 2015
Duration: c. 16:35
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Dana Wilson
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $180.00 | Score Only (print) - $80.00

Movements

1. Sometimes goin' in the dark…still climbin' (from the poem “Mother to Son”) – 6:05
2. My soul has grown deep like the rivers (from the poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”) – 5:10
3. Bright like the sun-my dream (from the poem “As I Grew Older') – 4:50

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV

(percussion detail desired)

Players clapping

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

It was such a pleasure to be writing this concerto with Henry Charles Smith, one of the great trombonists and a wonderful human being, in mind as its dedicatee. As trombonist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and then conductor of ensembles at all levels from youth symphonies to the Minnesota Orchestra, Mr. Smith touched the lives of thousands of musicians. In fact, I began gathering ideas for the work by extracting the letters of his name that would fit the music scale: H (the German letter for the pitch B) E C A E. The first two letters suggested the interval of a 5th (B down to E), which became the first main motive of the piece (heard first in the piano) and then an important accompanying figure, sequenced several times. The remaining letters of his name suggest a minor triad and become the opening chord (in the marimba) and then the overall chord quality of the work.

It also came to my attention that, in addition to his many incredible accomplishments, Mr. Smith made a recording with brass quintet members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, along with a rhythm section, of some jazz standards. (He was “disguised” as Hank Smith on the recording.) When the orchestra's conductor, Eugene Ormandy, heard about the recording, apparently he flew into a rage, saying his musicians could never, ever be heard in this context, and pressured Columbia Records to pull all existing copies from store shelves, which they did. So there are very few copies around, but apparently “Hank” still thinks it's a good recording. In the spirit of Mr. Smith's defiance, then, this concerto also draws upon certain jazz styles. It also calls upon jazz styles because of my own musical roots and those of trombonist Tom Ashworth, who gave the first performance.

The movement titles reflect this in that they each come from the poetry of Langston Hughes, an African-American who was devoted to jazz in life and in his writings: I. Sometimes goin' in the dark…still climbin' (from the poem “Mother to Son”) II. My soul has grown deep like the rivers (from the poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”) III. Bright like the sun-my dream (from the poem “As I Grew Older')

I am grateful to all of the consortium members, to Tom and conductor Craig Kirchhoff for initiating the commission, and to Craig for organizing the consortium. I am also very pleased and honored that the premiere of this concerto could take place as part of the celebration honoring Craig in his final concert before retirement from teaching at the University of Minnesota.

- Program Note by composer

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

United States Army Band (Ft. Myer, Va.) (Andrew Esch, conductor; Tom Ashworth, trombone) – 11 March 2017
University of Georgia (Athens) Hodgson Wind Ensemble (Cynthia Johnston Turner, conductor; Joshua Bynum, trombone) – 6 October 2016
University of South Florida (Tampa) Wind Ensemble (John Carmichael, conductor) – 19 February 2016 (CBDNA 2016 Southern Division Conference, Charleston, S.C.)
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Wind Symphony (John R. Stewart, conductor; Phillip Ostrander, trombone) 16 October 2015

Works for Winds by This Composer

A complete list of Dana Wilson's compositions may be found here:

Avatar, The (2005)
Awakening... (2011)
The Banquet (2017)
Black Nightshade (2004)
Calling, Ever Calling (1990)
Clarion Call (1988)
Colorado Peaks (2009)
Concerto for Double Bass and Wind Ensemble (2010)
Concerto for Drum Set and Wind Ensemble (2021)
Concerto for Horn and Wind Ensemble (1997)
Concerto for Jazz Piano and Wind Ensemble (2019)
Concerto for Trombone (2015)
Concerto for Tuba (Wilson) (2012)
Conjurer, The (2015)
Dance of the New World (1992)
Day Dreams (2006)
Evolution (1999)
Fanfare for a New Center (2011)
Fanfare for Karel (2017)
Footsteps (2010)
Front Burner (2020)
How Very Close (2012)
Io Rising
Kah! Out of Darkness (1999)
Last Ride to Solutré (1998)
Leader Lieder (1993)
Liquid Ebony (2006)
Liquid Gold (2005)
May the Road Rise Up to Meet You (2013/2019)
Odysseus and the Sirens (2008)
Of my dream before me... (2021)
Old Number One (2017)
On Fire! (2017)
The One-Lady Band from Owego (2021)
Piece of Mind (1987)
Primal Worlds (2000)
Quintessence (2019)
Sang! (1993)
Searching for Lost Dreams (2013)
Shakata: Singing the World into Existence (1989)
Shortcut Home (2003)
Speak to Me (2010)
...the harder they fall (2004)
the most sacred of times (2022)
Time Cries, Hoping Otherwise (1991)
To Set the Darkness Echoing (2005)
Uprising (1995)
Vortex (1999)
When I Am Gone Away (2006)
Winds on the Steppes (1994)

Resources

Cicconi, C. (2017). The Band Music Handbook: A Catalog of Emerging Band Repertoire. Rowman & Littlefield: Lanham, Md.
Dana Wilson website Accessed 8 February 2016