Description
Apostle’s Journey Trumpet Solo
with Piano Accompaniment
For Paul Kurtz
About the Music
Apostle’s Journey is a rhapsody with four distinct episodes. These episodes are symbolic of the “journey” in the title. The piece was composed first as a solo with band accompaniment. The piano part in this PDF is a piano reduction of the band accompaniment.
The composition’s thematic material is expressive without being overly odd. It was meant to be immediately digestible by most music audiences. There are odd meters, but those are used mostly to create different moods throughout the composition. There is very little dissonance. What dissonances there are in Apostle’s Journey function as extensions of the harmonies and are systematically resolved.
The trumpet part in Apostle’s Journey is flashy without being overly virtuosic.
Apostle’s Journey and Paul Kurtz
The idea for Apostle’s Journey began in San Antonio in 2017 at the International Trumpet Guild convention. I met Paul Kurtz in person for the first time and had the pleasure of spending some time with him during the convention. We had known each other for many years through an online list server called Trumpet Players International Network.
My wife and I were at the convention primarily because the UTEP trumpet ensemble was performing one of my compositions as one of the opening fanfares. I remember mentioning my Love Commissions to Paul and that’s when I had the idea to compose something for him to perform with the community band’s he works with.
Love Commissions
Apostle’s Journey trumpet solo is one of my love commissions. Love commissions are compositions I write for specific people or ensembles, for free, but treating them as if they were paid commissions. These are commissions I write for people or organizations who would never be able to pay for that sort of work. This is why I call them “Love Commissions”, because they are my gift back into the community.
Probably the highest profile of these love commissions has been Voice of the Prophets (trumpet quintet), which I composed for the UTEP trumpet ensemble for the National Trumpet Competition. Other Love Commissions I’ve written have included a duet for trumpet and tuba, several miniatures (one page compositions for solo instruments), trumpet duets, trumpet trios, trumpet quartets, a saxophone quartet, and a couple of trumpet septet compositions. The most major of these has been a trumpet septet, Americana Suite, composed for the trumpet ensemble at Hannibal-La Grange University.
Apostle’s Journey Demo Video
The following video is a demonstration of Apostle’s Journey, as performed by me and my son, Alex. The video comes from our first father/son recital performance.
That said, I do think that it is an honest representation of Seizing Victory. The flaws do not detract from the express I spoke of at the top of this page.
I hope you enjoy it.
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