Chorale for Trumpets: 2nd B-flat Trumpet

Sustained and contemplative, with the shimmering harmonic ambiguity the whole tone scale creates. The piece has an organ-like resonance that feels both serene and slightly unsettling, inviting listeners into its unusual harmonic world.

Intermediate brass ensembles preparing for solo and ensemble festivals or chamber music showcases. This works especially well for groups of four to eight trumpets seeking repertoire that showcases blend and musicality over technical display.

• Balance the ensemble vertically so no single trumpet overpowers the harmonic wash. The whole tone scale can sound murky if upper voices sit too loud.
• Work for consistent, warm tone quality throughout the range. The organ-like texture Green describes depends on unified voicing across all players.
• Shape the phrasing through subtle dynamic swells rather than dramatic contrasts. Restraint makes the lyricism land harder.

Program this alongside more traditional chorale arrangements to demonstrate how contemporary compositional tools can serve expressive rather than novelty purposes. It makes a strong closing piece for a brass ensemble concert or a thoughtful transition between contrasting program sections.

• Blending and balancing within a homogeneous ensemble
• Sustaining long tones with consistent tone quality
• Reading and performing whole tone scale harmonies
• Shaping lyrical phrases through dynamics rather than articulation
• Listening to harmonic color as an expressive element