AT A GLANCE
Style
Exciting • Expansive • Victorious
Selected Performances & Recognition
Big River City Brass Summer Tour
What Makes It Unique
Grand sonorities, optional organ, and accessible writing allow ensembles with a wide variety of ability levels to achieve a powerful large-scale brass sound.
Musical Influences
Camille Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 3 "Organ Symphony"
William Schuman – Chester
Why I Wrote This Piece
Commissioned by Big River Brass to provide brass ensembles of varying ability levels with mature musical content that remains technically accessible.
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PROGRAM NOTE
As It Came to Be is written for British Brass Band with an optional organ part. All orders come with transposed parts for those ensembles with more standard brass (Trumpet in Bb, Horn in F, non-transposed Trombone/Euphonium/Baritone/Tuba)
This work was created to honor the formation and subsequent 20 years of the Big River Brass Band, which began with a small group of five players before becoming the large ensemble it is today. In the music you will hear these five players featured (including a small duet by a husband (cornet) and wife (horn) who began the ensemble). The music builds momentum as the ensemble gains more players.
There are two instances in the music where you will hear vague quotes of the same hymn that composer William Schuman used to write Chester, the chorale of which The Big River Brass Band uses as a daily warm-up.
Original Cover Photo by
Markus Spiske of artwork by Felix Spisken
Questions about the piece?
Please reach out if there's anything I can do to help as you explore this piece.