"Clarion" for Brass Quintet

A clarion was a Renaissance-era trumpet known for its uniquely bright, clear, and commanding tone—so distinctive that it later inspired an organ stop designed to imitate its brilliant sound. While this brass quintet doesn’t include an actual clarion (and isn’t particularly trumpet-centric), I felt the character of the instrument echoed clearly throughout. Drawing inspiration from the clarion stop’s connection to cathedral organs, traditional hymns, and even church bells—which you’ll hear tolling in the low brass just before the recapitulation—this piece explores what it means for music to ring out boldly, brightly, and unmistakably clear.