Among Friends (Ver.1) for brass quartet

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Among Friends is contemporary chamber music for brass ensemble. It is for the somewhat irregular ensemble of trumpet, 2 horns and euphonium or trombone. The instrumentation matches a group of students that played together at the Rivers Conservatory one semester.

The music is gentle and conversational. You might imagine a gathering of like-minded people who enjoy a friendly discussion. There are debates and repartee, clever quips and eloquent reflections. The music culminates in a deeply felt accord as all the musicians play a unison melody.

I originally wrote “Among Friends” for a quartet of high school and adult brass players at the Rivers Conservatory, commissioned by their coach, horn player and improviser Dan Shaud. Their group was an interesting variation of the standard brass quartet instrumentation. The warm sound of two horns in the middle, plus the euphonium, enhance the theme of friends.

The students premiered the music during the Rivers Conservatory’s annual Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young.

There is another version for horn quartet or 4-part horn choir. Contact me if you’d like a version for trombones or another ensemble.

Listen

The Esprit de Cor horn ensemble played Among Friends as a double quartet in a 2008 concert in Lexington, MA.