The Gift of Defeat

The Gift of Defeat is an appox. 7 min. work in three movements for upper intermediate to advanced Brass Quintet. For parts, please email [email protected], if desired. Composed by Chase Morrison in 2025. Program Notes: For all human beings, I believe that repeated failure is necessary in order to achieve sustained success. In fact, from my experience, failure and defeat can even be gifts, as the lessons, skills, and drive attainable from them can enable us to achieve more than what we had originally thought was possible. In The Gift of Defeat, I seek to musically portray in three movements how I have wrestled and overcome repeated failures in my life, while also choosing to acknowledge the many blessings that come with failures. The first movement, Triumph, illustrates the somewhat naive pride that comes with embarking on a new venture, followed by the second movement, Anguish, which wrestles with the inevitable defeats and setbacks that soon arrive. The third movement, titled Pursuit, however, demonstrates the remarkable drive and passion that can be gained from learning and acceptable defeat, perhaps leading to goals once deemed unachievable.