Gaudy Flourishes

Commissioned by Somerville College, Oxford University, for their Summer Gaudy of Saturday, July 3, 2004

Gaudy Flourishes is written, ideally, for trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn and snare drum. Any number and combination of instruments can also play the work as circumstances dictate. Of course, three trumpets or three cornets etc can also play it. Essentially the work is a sequence of ‘flourishes’ that are loosely connected by tempo and rhythm. However, the main idea is to create a dramatic set of miniature contrasts that will both hold the attention and gently subvert the standard expectations of the fanfare genre. The piece is essentially celebratory and designed for both outdoor and indoor performance.

Instrumentation: Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn and Side Drum.