Proclamation
Instrumentation
Horn octet/choir
Intermediate (grade 3)
Duration: 2’20”
2015
Available from:
JW Pepper
Sheet Music Direct
Sheet Music Plus
Also available in a higher key from
Sheet Music Direct
Sheet Music Plus
Concert band
Intermediate (grade 3)
Duration: 2’20”
2016
Available from:
JW Pepper
Sheet Music Direct
Sheet Music Plus
Media
Program notes
Proclamation originally came about thanks to the choral piece O Fillii et Filiae by Volckmar Leisring. It’s a beautiful antiphonal motet that I thought would sound lovely played on horn. I completed a transcription, and my husband (a hornist) mentioned that it needed a companion piece. That comment got me thinking and I started developing ideas for what would become Proclamation. I wanted the piece to be antiphonal, in homage to O Filii. Getting two quartets to converse presented some compositional puzzles to solve in order to get the piece to work.
The opening section of the piece should always have some bounce and space to it – neither a hard staccato nor overly smooth. The eighth note remains constant throughout all meter changes. Take care not to slow the tempo at all during the middle lyrical section as it will make the transition into the recap difficult.
Originally inspired by the antiphonal sounds of “O Filii et Filiae” by Volckmar Leisring and composed for horn octet, “Proclamation” travels through various time signatures in the opening fanfare, then switches moods in a soft, lyrical section. The entire ensemble combines for the dynamic finale. This would be a great concert opener for your ensemble.
For the band version:
With a completely different range of instruments available in concert band versus horn ensemble, I did not keep to the strict antiphonal style of the original piece. Instead, I used tone colors and layering to achieve a back-and-forth feel between groups. I also couldn’t resist giving a nod to my own instrument, the clarinet, and let them briefly have the spotlight.
