Here is what composer Henry Wolking says about his new work, Prognosis for Brass Trio:

Prognosis For Brass Trio is an eight-minute four-movement work for trumpet with flugelhorn double, trombone, and tuba. At this stage of my writing career, Prognosis has become a fairly common word heard and directed to myself, family, and friends. As such, I feel obliged to offer a few prognoses of my own for one of my long-standing and favored brass chamber music groups. Each movement is titled and informed by a particular prognosis.

The first movement, Chromatic Disorder, is, well, highly chromatic, and rhythmically active. The second, Common Tone Cold, is a melodic, gentle lullaby. The third, Take A PentaTonic, is a 6/8 romp of pentatonic scales connected by common tones. The fourth, Your Bill, Payable In C Notes, is an active closer that uses, the note C in every beat and cord of the entire movement. I predict you?ll feel much better after playing or listening to these prognoses.

Instrumentation is for Trumpet/Flugelhorn, Trombone and Tuba. This work is about 8 minutes in length and appropriate for advanced performers.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas by Meredith Wilson, arranged for string trio (with optional violin 2 or viola) by Alison Gillies.

Watch: https://youtu.be/SBac0i0WBlE and#65279;

Written in 1951, this song has been a hit for Perry Como, Harry Connick Jnr. and Michael Bubl�, among others. This arrangement for string quartet has plenty of interest for all players, with lots of light running triplet movement throughout.

A medley of four Christmas carols of French Origin: No�l nouvelet (Sing We Now of Christmas), Un flambeau, Jeanette, Isabelle (Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabelle), Il est n�, le divin enfant (He Is Born, the Holy Child), and Minuit, chr�tiens (O Holy Night). Arranged as a "fantasy-sonata" the first movement is driving, the second is a sweet lilting waltz, the third is a lighthearted take on the melody that alternates between "jaunty" and "solemn" (briefly employing bitonal harmonization) before launching into a blues variation. The finale is a "slow R&B" reimagining of O Holy Night that can be thought of somewhat as the love ballad reprise at the end of a Disney movie.

The trio lasts 9 minutes, and is suitable as a prelude or postlude for a church service or as part of a holiday recital. The difficulty is advanced, though the writing is simple enough that it should be able to be put together with minimal rehearsal time.

For more information, please contact graham.yates@gmail.com