Composer: Traditional Japanese arr. R. Linham
Duration: 4 minutes
Price: £14
Grade: 6-8
Instrumentation: Brass Quintet

This gorgeous traditional Japanese melody was arranged for the LSO Brass Quintet on their trip to play at the British Embassy in Japan whilst on tour with the orchestra. A simple melody often played on stringed instruments, I have used different aspects of the melody to create a-brass friendly arrangement with a musical journey. We start with a Phrygian trumpet flourish which leads into the first verse, a dark and moody iteration with trombone solo and light flowing horn embellishments. Verse 2 is a ‘woody’ cup-muted trumpet duet, the shape of the melody itself trickling and cascading as blossoms flowing in the breeze. A short development of growing intensity takes us to Verse 3, a rich a heavier version reminding us of the power and splendour of nature, horn and trombone proudly stating the melody with undulating semiquaver trumpets and powerful deep-rooted tuba.

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