Interval Music: Brass Duo & Ensemble, Choir, Score and Parts

Hazell writes for brass with genuine understanding of the medium's sonority and technical character. This score sits comfortably in the Master Brass Series repertoire, offering a piece that sounds substantial without demanding extreme technical pyrotechnics, which means your ensemble can focus on musicality and blend rather than survival.

The piece has the architectural clarity you'd expect from a Royal College-trained composer, with harmonic progressions that feel earned rather than arbitrary. There's warmth to the writing that stems from Hazell's vocal background; the ensemble sings rather than merely articulates.

Brass choirs and advanced brass ensembles with access to a full complement of voices, including multiple trumpets and a complete low brass section. Directors programming a concert that calls for contemporary music with solid craftsmanship will find this a reliable choice.

• Balance the four trumpet parts carefully in the opening sections; the piccolo trumpet in the first chair needs presence without drowning out the lower voices.
• Use sectional rehearsals to establish the horn and trombone foundation before layering in the upper brass, ensuring the harmonic structure stays clear.
• Shape phrases through the euphonium and tuba line; these voices carry more of the melodic weight than typical brass ensemble writing, so give them interpretive freedom.

Interval Music works well in a mixed brass repertoire concert, pairing effectively with classical brass standards or contemporary works that demand similar ensemble maturity. Consider it a centerpiece rather than an opener or closer, where its compositional substance can anchor a varied program.

• Balancing multiple trumpet lines in close voicing
• Sustaining ensemble blend across a full brass choir instrumentation
• Responding to phrase shapes driven by euphonium and tuba
• Listening to harmonic progression and adjusting intonation accordingly