One Day Wonder #225

For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone and tuba.

I thought I’d write something else for the trombone today. I wanted to feature the familiar poky 6/8 rhythm that I’ve neglected up until this point. Funny thing, it wasn’t until I was done that I noticed that it’s the exact same form as #223; that is: intro-ABACDA (with countermelody). Besides that, they’re completely different in feel and temperament. I guess this is because I’m really trying to rework form here and I ended up reworking it in the same way. It just highlights the latest struggle. See, when I first began this project, the problems were technical; what to do with the instruments, how to voice chords, how to deal with certain combinations and timbres and all that. The next was conceptual: what to write and how to write it for a brass ensemble. That lasted for a long time and still exists now, as I don’t want to write the same piece over and over. But now I find myself messing with form more and more. These tunes need an array of themes, but how do I arrange them? This is the persistent question. I’m not happy with the simple AABA song form or the tried-and-true ABACA march/polka form. The answer for this piece and #223 is the same. Had I been aware of the similarities while I was writing it, I would have done something about it. But this is still not a bad effort. I really like its character. As George W. Bush would say: “It has a good heart.” Of course, he usually says that about the world’s worst people. Anyhow, I like this piece a lot and so should you.