Concert Band
Manhattan (Trumpet Solo)
Grade 4 | 9 Mins
Manhattan was commissioned by the United States Army Band for their solo trumpet, Woodrow English, and first performed by them in Carnegie Hall, New York, in November 2003.
In addition to his position as Solo Trumpet with the US Army Band, Woody English, a talented and versatile player, is also a member of the US Army Brass Quintet and Principal Cornet of the Brass Band of Battle Creek, a professional brass band based in Michigan, USA, which is where he first met composer Philip Sparke.
Wanting to write a piece that demonstrated both the lyrical and technical abilities of this outstanding player, Philip Sparke decided on a two-movement piece that could capture these qualities, with the intention that these movements could be played individually when a shorter solo is required.
The ‘theme’ is a weekend in New York and the opening bluesy movement, Saturday Serenade, describes the city on a Saturday night, perhaps in a smoke-filled jazz bar. While writing Sunday Scherzo, the composer pictured an early morning jog in Central Park and this vivaciously rhythmic movement ends with an even quicker coda which brings the work to a brilliant close.