Commissioned by the South Carolina Band Directors Association, "Finya Wulo" (Funeral Song) is written using a distinctive 12/8 "bembe" feel in a moderate tempo. The scoring utilizes a small combo contrasted with passages for the full ensemble. This is an adventurous and engaging work featuring extended harmonies and a unique rhythmic tapestry. Solos are included for trumpet and tenor sax.
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Michael Philip Mossman is a trombonist, composer, and arranger whose work spans classical, jazz, and world music traditions. His commissions and arrangements for ensembles at all levels reflect a deep understanding of instrumental voices and a commitment to expanding the repertoire available to student musicians.
Why we love this
Mossman gives your ensemble something genuinely uncommon: a piece rooted in African rhythmic tradition (the bembe feel in 12/8) that doesn't simplify or exoticize the source material. The contrast between intimate combo passages and full ensemble writing keeps everyone engaged, while the solos for trumpet and tenor sax give your strongest improvisers real space to shine.
What to expect
Contemplative yet energetic, with the steady hypnotic pull of the bembe rhythm beneath extended harmonies that shift unexpectedly. The title signals something ceremonial and reflective, yet the harmonies and rhythmic sophistication keep the ear engaged and curious throughout.
Who it's for
Advanced high school or college jazz ensembles ready to tackle a piece with genuine rhythmic complexity and harmonic sophistication. This work rewards groups with solid rhythm section fundamentals and improvising musicians confident enough to take risks within a structured framework.
How to get the most out of it
Lock the 12/8 bembe feel early in rehearsals by having the rhythm section play the groove without melody; the pulse sits differently than straight 4/4, and getting this foundation solid prevents the piece from dragging or rushing.
Encourage your soloists to listen to recordings of traditional bembe patterns and contemporary jazz interpretations of African rhythms; this context will deepen their phrasing choices beyond the written chord changes.
Balance the combo sections carefully so they don't disappear under the full ensemble; these moments are where the piece breathes and creates contrast, not filler between tutti passages.
How to use it
This works as a centerpiece on a concert exploring world music influences in contemporary jazz; pair it with other commissioned works that draw from non-Western traditions to show students how living composers absorb and transform cultural material. It also serves as a capstone piece for advanced ensembles, rewarding careful preparation with a performance that feels both substantial and distinctly different from standard big band fare.
Skills your students will build
Reading and executing the 12/8 bembe rhythmic feel with precision and independence across multiple instrumental lines
Improvising over extended harmonic structures and unfamiliar chord progressions
Balancing ensemble blend in passages scored for small combo within a larger ensemble context
Listening and responding to polyrhythmic textures without losing individual rhythmic clarity
Interpreting a work informed by non-Western musical traditions with cultural awareness and musicality
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