Interval Music: Brass Duo & Ensemble, Choir, Conductor Score

Hazell's Interval Music brings a composer's ear trained in opera and vocal literature to the brass choir medium, producing writing that prioritizes musical dialogue and phrase coherence over mere technical display. The piece sits comfortably within a rehearsal schedule without demanding excessive sectional prep, yet it reads as genuinely composed rather than functional. This is repertoire that respects both the capabilities and the musicianship of a brass ensemble.

The piece carries the warmth and lyricism of Hazell's operatic background into the brass medium, creating textures that are cohesive and singing rather than fragmentary or purely harmonic. There's an unhurried confidence to the writing: formal enough to feel composed, yet approachable enough that musicians can focus on musicality rather than technical survival.

Conductors leading a brass ensemble or brass choir with a standard four-part instrumentation (trumpets, horns, trombones, euphonium, tuba) will find a piece that's substantial enough to anchor a concert while remaining accessible for intermediate-to-advanced players. Interval Music works equally well in academic settings and community brass programs seeking repertoire beyond the standard march and fanfare tradition.

• Shape each phrase as if the brass choir were a single vocalist; Hazell's operatic background means the melodic lines want breath and direction rather than mechanical precision.
• Balance the piece by listening to the harmonic centers: the trombones and euphonium anchor the middle voices, so ensure they're heard clearly without overshadowing the trumpet and horn lines.
• Attend to articulation consistency across the section; Hazell's scoring often relies on unified tonguing to define ensemble rhythm and character.
• Use dynamic contrast to clarify form; this piece benefits from a conductor who shapes the overall arc rather than maintaining a static volume level throughout.

Interval Music serves as an excellent centerpiece for a brass ensemble concert, offering a contrast to lighter entertainment pieces and more rigorous technical challenges. It also pairs well on programs that need to demonstrate the ensemble's range across both lyrical and structured repertoire, and it works particularly effectively as part of a concert that celebrates the versatility of the brass medium.

• Phrasing and lyrical expression within a harmonic ensemble texture
• Balance and blend across five-part brass voicing
• Intonation stability through sustained harmonic passages
• Ensemble listening and responsiveness to conductor shaping
• Articulation coordination across multiple voice parts