Dances at Dusk

The main inspiration for Dances at Dusk culminated from a sunset I experienced during my 2017 summer. I had been touring with the Bluecoats Drum & Bugles Corps where we were stationed for a few days at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. One evening on top of the stadium, I was fascinated by a beautiful sunset, full of dissonant textures and vivid colors, stretching across the horizon. The juxtaposition of light and dark colors illuminated the sky and cast an ominous yet calming glow onto the clouds dancing above the cityscape. These dancing clouds in combination with the ongoing drum corps rehearsal below were the primary source of inspiration for the piece. Originally written for a trumpet ensemble with two players to a part (except for piccolo), the piece utilizes almost all trumpets in standard keys, but can also be performed with one player to a part. Furthermore, it calls for mellophone in F, extending the range of the ensemble down to a C3. Trumpet players can easily play this instrument using a trumpet mouthpiece or adapter, but 2 alternate french horn parts are provided anyway. The piece explores a contrast in sections, alternating between dark and cloudy passages at the beginning, and a light triumphant fanfare stated several times throughout the work. It ultimately ends with this same light fanfare, overcoming the darkness, as the sun recedes and sets into the horizon natures' true resolution.