Tuba-Euphonium Arrangements
- Beautiful Savior (featuring solo baritone horn)
Based on F. Melius Christiansen's arrangement of the Crusaders' Hymn for the St. Olaf Choir, this setting proves that men's choir can be transcribed for tuba-euph ensemble and lose nothing in translation. The alto solo is played on a baritone horn for greater contrast in timbre.
- The Boar's Head Carol
Premiered at the 2008 Indiana Merry Tubachristmas, this is a quickie setting of the Olde English carol. It's played straight at the beginning, with Euph I as soloist. The 2nd verse is a samba counterpoint between Euph 2 and Tuba 1 (works REALLY well with percussion). The 3rd verse is straight out of 80's new wave, with the melody in 2nd tuba's lower register. A pretty easy crowd-pleaser, but unfortunately, this file has been lost....anyone have any copies I gave them? - Bring Me a Torch, Woman! ("Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella") (with solo melodica)I was listening to a lot of Lalo Schifrin at the time (this Verve compilation in particular), and was compelled to turn the traditional French carol into a jazz waltz. I wanted all euph parts and upper tuba to have chord fills and inner parts, which meant that the solo had to have a different timbre, so I offered to solo on my new Hohner melodica (AKA, that thing that plays "The Office" theme). IUP's Tubaphonium Ensemble premiered this at the 2009 Indiana Merry Tubachristmas.
- The Cay (Mel Bay)
Transcribed and arranged in 2007 from a Mel Bay guitar ensemble chart, this one was written for Eric Henry and Messiah College's tuba-euph studio. A fun and jaunty reggae tune that was apparently influenced by Theodore Taylor's book of the same name.
- Christmas With Alfred Burt (Alfred Burt, lyrics by Bates G. Burt and Wihla Hutson)
Alfred Burt is one of the unsung heroes of Christmas. A trumpeter in the Army Air Force Band, Burt collaborated every year on an original Christmas carol, providing music for his father's lyrics. From 1942 until his untimely death in 1954, he sent these carols out in Christmas cards, and they've been recorded by everyone from John Williams to James Taylor. This medley features This Is Christmas, Some Children See Him, and Caroling, Caroling. Premiered at the December 2010 IUP Tubaphonium Ensemble concert.
- Duel of the Fates (John Williams)
- She Blinded Me With Science (Thomas Dolby)
Both arranged for the ensemble's production of "Frankentuba" (it was a dark and stormy night in Indiana, don't ask!), Duel of the Fates involves some thick layering in all four parts, and I employ one of my most common techniques: Giving the melody to Tuba I while the euphoniums handle block chords. This also happens in She Blinded Me With Science, by the unjustly neglected Thomas Dolby (I always loved his work; what is he up to now?)
- Farandole (from L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2) (Georges Bizet; Original orchestration by Ernest Guiraud)
A major project for any tuba-euphonium ensemble, this arrangement can be done in a quartet setting, but should preferably be done by a full ensemble due to player endurance. The blistering closer of L'Arlesienne, this was premiered in 2011 and subsequently chosen for publication by Cimarron Music.
- Fat Bottomed Girls (Brian May)
From 2003, this is my first tuba-euph quartet arrangement, and is being reworked in the near future due to the loss of its file. Will this prompt a large-scale Queen project? Any way the wind blows...
- Look No Further (from No Strings) (Richard Rodgers)
Another early file (2006) that seems to be lost, this is a great tune from Richard Rodgers' No Strings, his only solo musical.