Symphonic Band (5:16) - January 1996

Benality (MIDI)

This piece was an experiment in harmony, and was not written with any particular band in mind.

The first theme is played by a unison flute section and bass clarinet section. It seems to remind me of something from Francis Macbeth's Chant and Jubilo. At the end of each section, there is a recurring pattern of 3 chords, each chord with a shared pitch.

The second section opens with a rhythmic build into the trumpet theme which I tried to make exciting without the use of high range. In fact, the trumpet range in this piece is mostly low in comparison to my other early pieces. The timpani part is quite demanding, and one director once called Benality a timpani solo. After the 3 pattern, the mood shifts to a more relaxed quality, in a very Swearingen-esque way.

This section is characterized by the horn sound, mixed with various instruments. This was the first time I made use of major seventh chords. The old middle bridge here used to be more atonal, but I disliked it and rewrote it completely.

The piece ends with the rhythmic build resolving to a major chord and a timpani solo.