PHOENIX Processional
(from PHOENIX Fanfare and Processional for organ, brass quartet and percussion)
Trumpet and Organ Version
by
Dan Locklair (b. 1949)
PHOENIX Processional for trumpet and organ was created in October 2011 and comes from a larger composition entitled PHOENIX Fanfare and Processional for organ, brass quartet and percussion.
By way of background, the original three-minute PHOENIX Fanfare was commissioned in 1979 by Union Theological Seminary in New York City for the 3 February 1980 reopening and dedication of Union’s gutted and renovated James Memorial Chapel. Its title is reflective of the rising up of this structure. The original Fanfare was conceived of as an antiphonal composition, with the original brass sextet placed at the rear of the Chapel and the organ and percussion at the front of the space. In August of 1985, the scoring of PHOENIX Fanfare was reduced to brass quartet and joined with a newly composed processional to become PHOENIX Fanfare and Processional. It was first performed at the September 1985, Opening Convocation of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where I serve as Composer-in-Residence and Professor of Music. Although the composition has had many performances in its original version (including use for many years at graduation exercises of The Juilliard School in New York City), many organists wrote to ask me if I might consider creating a solo organ version of the processional. In 1996 I did so. Further, in 2007 I was commissioned by the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra and the Arizona Musicfest to create an orchestral version of the complete PHOENIX Fanfare and Processional. Then, finally, after numerous requests for it, in 2011 I created this trumpet and organ version of PHOENIX Processional. Excepting the solo organ version (which is published by Ricordi/Hal Leonard), all other versions of the piece are published by Subito.
In all versions of the composition, Processional is quite similar. A stately melodic line dominates the opening section. A quieter middle section emerges for organ alone and glockenspiel in the original version. In order convey this percussive effect in the trumpet and organ and solo organ versions, organ chimes may be added to the registration. The opening melody soon returns and PHOENIX Processional ends with power of full organ.
Dan Locklair
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
6 November 2011
Duration : ca. 6’