American Vignettes was composed during 2011 for the Lyric Brass of Pacific Lutheran University. They were looking for a composition to include on a CD of American music and one that would feature each of the musicians. The first movement, ?Barn Dance?, features the first trumpet and after a syncopated, fanfare-style introduction, the movement uses fragments and elaborations of "Old Chisholm Trail" and "Short?nin Bread". For the second movement, I wanted to write a blues and feature the other trumpet player on Flugelhorn. As I was working on the movement, the blues seem very mysterious and lonely, so I titled the movement 4 A.M. Blues. It reflects someone who can?t sleep and is contemplating the deep mysteries of life and feels very alone in the world. Movement 3 is the tuba feature and is called "Spirituals". I use three different spirituals in this movement, "Nobody Knows the Trouble I?ve Seen". "Cotton Needs Picking" and "Every Time I Feel the Spirit." Movement 4 ?Fiesta? is a trombone feature and represents the Southwest. The Southwestern flavor is accomplished through alternating 6/8 and 3/4 and the bright colors of the muted brass playing staccato eighth note rhythms and "ay" sounding motifs. The Horn is featured in the fifth movement ?From Sea to Shining Sea? that starts with a jazz harmony version of ?America the Beautiful? followed by a jazz waltz built from motifs of the song. The last movement is called ?Harlem Jump? and is an up-tempo jive with Be-bop type solos written for each of the musicians. ?

In 1887, George Kitchin wrote ?Lift High the Cross.? Michael R. Newbolt revised it in 1916, and it was printed in that year in Sydney Nicholson?s supplement to Hymns Ancient and Modern. At the same time, it was set to Nicholson?s hymn tune, ?Crucifer,? and has since come to be used as the opening or closing hymn in many churches. There are several very good arrangements of ?Lift High the Cross? featuring brass instruments with varying combinations of other musicians?organ, choir, tympani, snare drum, hand bells, high voice descant. This arrangement features brass quintet alone, and the triumphant nature of the hymn?s melody sits exceptionally well with this particular instrumental grouping. It begins, however, with a completely different interpretation?the first time through the refrain and the verse are played relatively slowly, quietly and contemplatively (the tempo marking instructs ?Reverently?). The pace then picks up, and the feeling of the piece changes to one of exultation. This joyous mood is sustained throughout the variations that follow, and each player gets a chance to shine. Finally, after one last statement of the refrain, the dynamics quiet down for a beautifully soft finish. This is a perfect concert piece for Easter, Lent, or church processional or recessional. This arrangement was completed in 2017, and performance time runs about 5 minutes, 10 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, would be very interested in your comments on this piece; contact him at lessmith@ufl.edu or leave a review on the SheetMusicPlus website. For more arrangements by Les, enter "Sweetwater Brass Press" (without the quotation marks) in the SheetMusicPlus search box.