Other Ben Stevenson
Unquiet City for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble

A virtuoso piece for trumpet soloist and wind ensemble. Pro level trumpet part, Grade 5-6 band parts.

Program Note
"Unquiet City" is scored for solo trumpet and wind ensemble. It is in four connected movements.

I. ...midnight is not silent: The sounds of the city resonate in the night air. Among these sounds, a lone trumpet sings
it's song. Sounds pile on top of each other, until the city (the wind ensemble) breaks into
it's own song, in order to drown out the trumpet. The soloist plays their own counterpoint
against the band and, eventually, breaks through with their own tune, which echoes through
the city as the sun rises.

II. Breakaday: The city awakes. The soloist darts in and out among the urban cacophony, trying to survive.
Eventually, a quartet of Saxophones begins a funky breakdown and the soloist joins in. This
leads directly into...

III. Cadenza: The soloist is all alone, exploring the freedom of the city. After a while, the noise of the city
comes roaring back, leading to...

IV. Above it all...: Release, the soloist sings a variation of his theme over the receding sounds of the city and even
sings the song of the city for a while. Eventually, the trumpet's theme echoes around the city
and we are back where we began, ready to start again at Midnight.