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Four Hymns, Op. 152 (2023)

For Trombone Quartet

Score Video:

Perusal Score:

Duration: 11'

  1. I. Hymn to the Earth
  2. II. Hymn to the Sea
  3. III. Hymn to the Sky
  4. IV. Hymn to the Sun

Instrumentation:

  • Alto Trombone
  • Tenor Trombone 1 (small-bore)
  • Tenor Trombone 2 (large-bore, with F attachment)
  • Bass Trombone

Program Notes:

This piece is the sixth in a series of Christmas gifts for my dear friend Noah Lauziere.

The trombone (and its percursor, the sackbut) was traditionally associated with liturgical music, since it was able to blend with and support the human voice so well. Nowadays, it is more known as an orchestral instrument, but it wasn't used in a symphony until 1807 (Joachim Nicolas Eggert's Symphony in Eb) and popularized by Beethoven the following year in his fifth symphony.

As I started thinking about writing a trombone quartet, I wanted to pay homage to these liturgical origins without attaching it to a specific religion or set of beliefs. The resulting music should have a mix of solemnity and joy - sublime and awesome.

The third movement was written shortly after I learned of the untimely death of a sophomore student in my homeroom, Julien Hernandez. It is dedicated in his honor.

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