Sir Patrick Spens for Double Brass Quartet

The composer Robert Cummings writes, “While Robert Lucas Pearsall wrote instrumental and orchestral music, he is best known for his vocal works, particularly for his madrigals and part songs, which he composed as a means of reviving Renaissance-era styles. He expanded on, rather than copied, them, adding structural features from the Classical period to forge a unique pastiche style, which yielded several masterly works, including the madrigals ‘Great god of love’ and ‘Lay a garland’.”

“Sir Patrick Spens” is one of the most popular of the Child Ballads (No. 58), and is of Scottish origin.

Instrumentation:

• 4 Trumpets in B♭
• 2 Horns
• 2 Trombones