Howls and Hymns

Consortium premier January 25, 2019 at the Illinois Music Education Conference. (Tim Smith, trombone)

From our program notes, written by Rebecca Flore:

The resumé of young composer Viet Cuong (b. 1990) would make many composers twice his age envious. Cuong has written pieces for many high-level professional ensembles, including Sō Percussion, Eighth Blackbird, Alarm Will Sound, and JACK Quartet, all of whom are darlings of the American contemporary classical music scene. His works have been performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, and the Kennedy Center. His education is equally impressive—he’s completing a PhD in composition at Princeton University while simultaneously working on an Artist Diploma at the prestigious Curtis School of Music in Philadelphia. Additionally, he holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Princeton and a Bachelor’s degree from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. Cuong’s music spans a wide range of mediums, including orchestra, instrumental chamber groups, solo works, and electronic music.

Howls and Hymns was composed for this morning’s trombonist Tim Smith. Currently, he plays in the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he’s held since 2009, and teaches Low Brass Orchestral Repertory at the Eastman School of Music. Smith maintains an active schedule of performing internationally, teaching, and advocating for new music that features the trombone. Howls and Hymns is a product of his advocacy. Smith led a consortium of 11 junior high bands to commission Viet Cuong to write a piece for solo trombone and wind ensemble.

The resulting work juxtaposes two main contrasting sections. It begins with a slow introduction featuring a lyrical cadenza from the trombone. We then jump into into a fast-paced section that showcases Tim Smith’s virtuosity on the trombone. Midway through the piece, the slow, mysterious theme from the introduction returns and is elaborated into an important section of the form that serves to provide relief from the intensity of the previous section. The fast tempo then returns a final time and drives to a powerful conclusion.

Commissioned by a consortium organized by Tim Smith

• Mill Middle School
  Williamsville, NY
  Pim Liebmann
• Frontier Middle School
  Hamburg, NY
  Todd Macon
• Amherst Middle School
  Amherst, NY
  Paul Biddle
• Clarence Middle School
  Clarence, NY
  Chris Gawlak
• Heim Middle School
  Williamsville, NY
  Evonne Michel
• Lancaster Middle School
  Lancaster, NY
  Jacob Seymour
• McCracken Middle School
  Skokie, IL
  Chip De Stefano
• Casey Middle School
  East Amherst, NY
  Kyle Gengo
• Kenmore East High School
  Tonawanda, NY
  Phil Aguglia
• Hutchinson Central Technical High School
  Buffalo, NY
  Amy J. Steiner
• Canisius College Concert Band
  Buffalo NY
  Paul Biddle