Page Title
Brass Catalog
Brass Quintets
Adams
Bach
Beethoven
Britell-Miranda
Coon-Sanders
Dorsey
Fillmore
Moten-Thamon
Mozart
Pryor
Schubert
Schumann, Clara
Shay-Gillespie-Frommel
Youmans/Eliscu/Kahn
Trombone
Ensembles
Gabrieli
Folksong
Kelland
Knopfler
Sonate Pathétique Op. 13
Beethoven
Mov.1 for Brass Quintet
$24.99
String Quartett Op. 24
Clara Schumann
for Brass Quintet
$24.99
Hölle Rache
from the Magic Flute - Mozart
Solo French Horn-Brass Quintet
$14.99
If Beethoven had valves... This classic piano sonata by Beethoven is orchestrated for brass quintet. It is a fiery, dynamic, tour-de-force for the ensemble
Clara Schumann, married to Robert Schumann, was herself a reknown pianist. Less known perhaps, as well as touring as a child prodigy, she started composing at age 9. This piece is originally a String Quartet with an optional bass part added to make a quintet. It lends itself well to the brass quintet, showing off technical virtuosity in each part.
This famous soprano aria is transcribed for solo French Horn with Brass Quintet accompaniment. A challenge for both singer and horn player alike, the perfomer must supply their own horns (pun intended!).
Sonata No 12 Op 26
Beethoven
for Brass Quintet
$19.99
Once Upon A Time...Storybook Love
Mark Knopfler
for Brass Quintet
$19.99
Song Of India
Thomas Dorsey, Bone Red
Brass Quintet
$19.99
Composed in 1800–1801, around the same time as he completed his First Symphony, the Sonata No. 12 in Ab Major is dedicated to Prince Karl von Lichnowsky, who had been his patron since 1792. It consists of four movements, Andante con variazioni, Scherzo, Marcia Funebre sulla Morte d'un Eroe, and Allegro, Rondo. This technically challenges the brass quintet, but also shows off its elegance and power in the Marcia Funebre. I did leave one variation (Var. 5) out of the first movement Andante, as it did not lend itself well.
This arrangement features the Horn and Trombone, building to a big tutti in the middle, finishing with a quiet ending. The 1st trumpet mute is optional, but effective. Entertaining to listen to, and perfect for a wedding!
Taken from Rimsky-Korsakov's opera Sadko, big band leader Tommy Dorsey popularized the melody with his incredible trombone playing. This arrangement begins closer to the original operatic aria, with solo trombone, and segues into the swing version from the 1930s. The trumpet is featured later with a solo first done by Bunny Berigan from the Dorsey band. Backstory: In High School when I studied with Chicago Symphony Bass Trombonist Edward Kleinhammer, at a lesson where I was working on legato, he asked me- Do you know who you want to sound like? I thought, o.k., who does he look up to? Mr. Kleinhammer replied: Tommy Dorsey. I went out and bought every recording I could find!
The Holy City
Stephen Adams
Solo Trombone and Brass Quintet
$19.99
Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Marys
Otto Kelland
Brass Quintet
$24.99
She's Like The Swallow
Canadian Folk Song
Brass Quintet
$19.99
The Holy City is a Victorian religious-ballad composed in 1892 by Michael Maybrick (aka Stephen Adams) with lyrics by Frederic Weatherly. The pyrotechnics on the trombone solo are enhanced with the Brass Quintet accompaniment, and would be appropriate for a recital piece featuring the trombone. Backstory: This is my first solo performed in public at 9 yrs. old. I always was a fan of theme and variations (a la Arthur Pryor.) A bit autobiographical, the theme is how I would have played at 9 years old (now I would play it an octave higher) , Variation 1 like High School, Variation 2 like University, and the finale like a professional.
This well known folk song from Newfoundland has been arranged to feature the brass quintet with an optional Bohdran or Drum. It features all of the instruments, beginning with a mysterious, somber tuba solo accompanied by fog horn sounds played by horn and trombone along with muted trumpets imitating a calm sea. This builds to rhapsodic climax, ending mysteriosly with the tuba. The Bohdran/Drum part is a nice addition, but there are options if one is not available. Please see notes at the end of the score. Backstory: I tried to capture the feeling of Newfoundland after visiting several times, the first time on tour, and now having family there.
A well known Canadian Folk Song, this rendition follows the lyrics as a sort of tone poem dedication. The beginning is reminiscent of Satie, with a trombone solo. As it builds, the tragedy unfolds with dissonant harmonies, ending in sadness. Backstory: I arranged this for the Saltwater Brass Quintet of St. John's, Newfoundland, and it was performed at the Women's Brass Conference, Jan 2024 in Toronto
Miss Trombone
Henry Fillmore
Solo Trombone and Brass Quintet
$14.99
Shoutin' Liza Trombone
Henry Fillmore
Solo Trombone and Brass Quintet
$14.99
Teddy Trombone
Henry Fillmore
Solo Trombone and Brass Quintet
$14.99
Miss Trombone is one of the series of 15 novelty tunes written for trombone by Henry Fillmore, and featuring the "smear" - characteristic sound of the trombone. This earned the instrument the nickname of "sliphorn"! It is written in a Ragtime style, and is an entertaining addition to a light concert.
Shoutin' Liza is from a collection of rags by Henry Fillmore for trombone featuring its most characteristic effect- the "smear" or glissando. Hence it got the nickname of "slip horn"! I think it is a welcome addition to a light brass quintet concert. Backstory: This is the first piece I played on a "gig" at 10 years old at an orphanage.
Teddy trombone is part of a series of trombone features by Henry Fillmore, sister piece to the more well known Lassus Trombone. This arrangement for brass quintet features the trombone in a Ragtime style with its characteristic glissandi- smears.
Canzon XI in Echo Duodecimi Toni a 10
Giovanni Gabrieli
Trombone Choir - 10 voices
$19.99
Ave Maria
Franz Schubert
Brass Quintet
$14.99
Air on the G String
J.S. Bach
Brass Quintet
$14.99
This arrangement of Canzon XI in Echo Duodecimi Toni a 10 is for full Trombone ensemble - 2 antiphonal choirs of 5 parts each. Gabrieli was experimenting with homophonic style which creating a grandeur of sound to the traditional polyphonic music of the time. Adding this to the acoustic of San Marcos in Venice, along with the spacial separation of choirs, would have created quite a majestic sound! Backstory: I first arranged this for an International Youth Orchestra Festival in Banff, Alberta. I intentionally was quite liberal with dynamics in this rendition to accentuate the individual lines in polyphonic sections. Seldom do the parts peak at the same time. This creates a lot of motion in the lines, thus a lot of interest!
A beautiful classic, this arrangement for Brass Quintet stands by itself, or can be blended with an organ - perfect for a church service. Each instrument gets a piece of the melody (including tuba) and serves as a rest for the 1st trumpet. The Horn is featured at the beginning and end, with the trombone providing the triplet "noodles", melody in the middle climax, and bass line during the tuba solo. Backstory: I arranged this for a friend’s wedding, and found it useful, especially in the Catholic Church Mass.
The Air on the G String, the second movement from Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 is one of the most famous and well-known pieces from Classical music. This rendition for the Brass Quintet features the 1st Trumpet and Horn in the melody, with accompanying parts in the other instruments, notably the “pizzicato Tuba” throughout.
Blue Bells of Scotland
Arthur Pryor
Brass Quintet
$19.99
Sonata XX a22
Giovanni Gabrieli
Trombone Choir - 22 voices
$29.99
Moton Stomp
Moton-Hayes
Brass Quintet
$24.99
Arthur Pryor, famous trombone virtuoso, was solo trombone with the John Philip Sousa band, assitant conductor, and finally leader of his own band. The Blue Bells of Scotland is perhaps the most well known theme and variations of trombone solos. It requires lightning technique, beautiful lyricism, and a large range. I would imagine that all serious trombone players perform this piece at some time in their career. This arrangement is for brass quintet, with the solo trombone accompanied by the other four brass. Backstory: I first heard Blue Bells in High School from a solo record that John Swallow made. I thought that it was for sure a trick...trombones can't play that fast??? (Oh...he could!)
Giovanni Gabrieli (c.1557-1612) was one of the most influential composers of his time. Known for his compositions using antiphonal style, this Sonata XX a22 would have fit well in St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. This is perhaps the largest ensemble for the time using 22 instruments in 5 choirs. It was published posthumously in 1615 and shows a great transition from the Renaissance to Baroque style. This advanced arrangement is for a choir of 22 trombones, with alternate trumpet and French horn parts for the top voices. Backstory: I was honored to participate in an annual series of low brass seminars in Hamilton, Ontario in the 1990s. There was always a featured guest artist, and one year John Marcellus brought the Eastman Trombone Choir to perform. Since we had so many great trombone players available, I arranged this piece using them and augmented by some trumpets for the high parts. I got the idea to edit it for an ensemble of all trombones by lowering the key and using alto trombones for the high parts and a contrabass trombone for the bottom. Strong tenor trombone players could play the alto parts, perhaps on a smaller bore tenor. Alto and tenor clefs are used. I also transposed the high parts for trumpets (wouldn’t soprano trombone be great!) or French horns. The Contrabass trombone part can be played by a bass trombone player with a monster low range (there are a lot of them out there!)
Benjamin (Bennie) Moten was an American jazz pianist and band leader born in 1893 and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. Moten organized an orchestra (Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra), active in the Midwest during the early 1920s, that was largely responsible for developing the big band sound. In 1929, he recruited among others a young Count Basie. From this evolved the early stages of what became known as the "Basie sound," a few years before Basie recorded under his own name. Moten Stomp was composed in 1927 by Bennie Moten and trombonist Thamon Hayes. Moten's arrangements featured extended solos from various musicians in the group. True to his style, this arrangement features solos from all members of the brass quintet. Suggested solos are written out, but the chord changes are provided for improvisation. The original 1927 recording featured a banjo solo, which is recreated with harmon mutes in the trumpets and trombone, giving the “wah-wah” effect.
Nighthawk Blues
Coon-Sanders
Brass Quintet
$24.99
Who Wouldn't Be Jealous of You
Shay-Gillespie-Frommel
Brass Quintet
$24.99
I Always Wanted a Brother
Nicholas Britell, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Brass Quintet
$24.99
The Nighthawks were a band out of Kansas City formed around 1918. Fronted by Carleton Coon (drums) and Joe Sanders (piano), they took the name Nighthawks because of their late radio broadcast time of 11:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Their popularity was so extensive across the country that they set up a ticker-tape to Coon’s drums and Sanders’ piano allowing them to receive telegram requests in real time during their broadcasts. The Nighthawk Blues was their theme song, and listeners were encouraged to write, call or send the telegram. The lyrics to the theme song include: "When Coon and Sanders start to play, Those Nighthawk Blues you’ll start to sway, Tune right in on the radio, grab a telegram and say hello" --Nighthawk Blues Their music captured the exuberance and excesses of America during the 1920s, a decade that came to be known as the Jazz Age. The band featured all its members in solo moments. I tried to capture this idea in the brass quintet version. Note the detailed articulations I put in to try to capture the early swing style of the period. The changes are also provided in the solos for the improvisers. Backstory: One of my last performing groups was with a new period band put together by a good friend around 2018. Unfortunately, because of the Covid pandemic, the band never returned. I did, however, get the opportunity to delve into this amazing music from 100 years ago.
Who Wouldn't Be Jealous of You, made famous by the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks band was penned by Larry Shay, George Frommel, and Haven Gillespie in 1928. It was used in the 1958 motion picture Gang Wars. This upbeat tune features all members of the brass quintet, with the “crooning” singing melody in the trombone. Backstory: I became acquainted with this while in a period 1920s band in 2021. It resonated with me, inspiring me to share with all.
This brass quintet arrangement of I Always Wanted a Brother from Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King composed by Nicholas Britell and Lin-Manuel Miranda captures the joy and dramatic intensity of the lion cub’s new relationship as brothers. An advanced rendition, it features all the voices of the ensemble, with a tour-de-force part for the French Horn. The cubs are portrayed at the beginning and end by the Horn and Trombone with the trumpets taking over in the middle of the piece. The tuba provides the strong rhythmic pulse and has a solo moment as the character Chigaru. Care has been taken to recreate the story line and style making it like a short tone poem. This is a welcomed addition to a brass quintet’s repertoire for a pops concert setting, or for a children’s concert.
Carioca
Youmans/Eliscu/Kahn
Brass Quintet
$24.99
Carioca comes from a 1933 popular song, music composed by Vincent Youmans and lyrics by Edward Eliscu and Gus Kahn. It was featured in the 1933 film "Flying Down to Rio" and danced by the famous Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. This arrangement for brass quintet begins in the traditional Latin jazz style (featuring an extended tuba solo), with a sudden transition to swing that includes solo breaks for the trumpets, horn and trombone, followed by a shout chorus. The Latin style returns with a flourish to the finish. The chord changes are included on the solos, as well as the walking bass on the tuba allowing for improvisation. The solos could also be opened up. Note that the high trumpet 1 passage at the beginning and ending is optional. Backstory: My mother grew up with and LOVED movies from the ‘30s and ‘40s! She could look at a chorus line of dancers and point out who many were, what other movies they were in, who they married, and any juicy scandal she read in the gossip magazines! Although she said she really preferred Gene Kelley, she did appreciate the elegance of Astair/Rogers.