Performed by The Troubled Euphs (audio recording by Patrick Yeh)

The bullet train system, or Shinkansen, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan first opening in 1964. With a maximum operating speed of 200 mph, and even faster speeds achieved in test runs, bullet trains are certainly an impressive example of technological advancements and innovation of transportation. Bullet Train for euphonium trio begins with a sparsely orchestrated introduction, representing the train sitting idle at the station. The momentum quickly picks up in pace with polyrhythms and interlocking melodic lines. The fast tempo and driving nature of the piece continue non-stop all the way until the final chord.

Sheet music available here: www.ianlestermusic.com/store/p6/Bull…82021%29.html

Copyright © 2021 Ian Lester

Bullet Train - Ian Lester

Performed by The Troubled Euphs (recorded by Patrick Yeh)

Notes from the arranger:

"Franz Schubert’s well-known lied is based off of the poem Erlkönig by Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe. The story depicts a father riding through a forest on horseback carrying his son home. The son repeatedly complains of the Erlkönig or Elf King who is whispering to him, trying to take him away, but the father suggests what the son is experiencing is only the wind and “old grey willow gleaming”. By the time the father realizes what is truly happening, it is too late. The son dies in his arms, having been taken by the Erlkönig.
As a self-proclaimed fan of horror and all things spooky, I have always adored this composition for its ominous tone, story, and sound, as well as its use of text painting. Here, I have arranged Erlkönig for three euphoniums. The iconic eighth note triplets originally in the piano part representing the galloping horse are present throughout the entire work, constantly being passed around between all three euphoniums. The roles of father, son, and Erlkönig are also passed around the ensemble, with expressive markings indicating which character is speaking."

Sheet music available here: www.ianlestermusic.com/store/p24/Erl…ium_Trio.html

Copyright © 2022 Ian Lester

Erlkonig - Franz Schubert/arr. for euphonium trio by Ian Lester

Performance by the Troubled Euphs

Against All Odds was written for the Troubled Euphs euphonium trio in late 2022. The work was inspired by the many cases throughout history of people surviving the seemingly un-survivable. Two specific instances that came to mind were the separate stories of Kamel Abdel Rahman and Phineas Gage. Both were impaled through the head in horrific accidents yet survived against all odds.

Sheet music available here: www.ianlestermusic.com/store/p32/Aga…ium_Trio.html

Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester

Against All Odds - Ian Lester

Performed by The Troubled Euphs

Notes from the composer:

"Cartridge Trio started as a piece to showcase the lyrical side of the Euphonium, something my friend Ian Lester had bemoaned to me one evening over text. As I started working on the piece and showed the scraps to him, he made the offhand comment that it sounded a bit like old-fashioned video game music, that nostalgic 8-bit that populated our childhoods as handheld video games took solid grasp of our imaginations. So I went with that.
The piece is pretty much divided into three-ish sections. The first is directly inspired by the area called "Lavender Town" in the original Pokémon games. The creepy, off-kilter but somehow playful atmosphere was something I liked about the music as a kid. The second is a more general "water-level." Something that was the bane of many a young child's existence which has kind of become a meme in modern internet culture. (Hopefully my water level is not equally as head-ache inducing.) The final section is that of a battle. You've gotten this far! Only gotta get that one critical hit... then finally! Victory! They do the quaint little happy dance before it's off to the next level."

Sheet music can be purchased here: https://www.aarynsrhmusic.com/store/p11/cartridge-trio.html

Cartridge Trio - Aaryn S. Ricucci-Hill

Performed by The Troubled Euphs

Notes from the arranger:

"In this setting for three euphoniums of the gorgeous Irish folk song Carrickfergus, the main melody gets passed around between the three performers before increasing in speed and intensity with a British Brass Band-inspired "Joyous" development section. The piece ends with an ethereal restatement of the main melody."

Sheet music available here:https://www.ianlestermusic.com/store/p33/Carrickfergus_%282022%29_-_Arranged_for_Euphonium_Trio.html

Copyright © 2022 Ian Lester

Carrickfergus - Trad,/arr. for euphonium trio by Ian Lester

Arranged for euphonium trio and performed by the Troubled Euphs with the permission of the composer and publisher.

Notes from the composer: 

"Scenes from the Bayou was written in 2016 on a commission from Dr. James Boldin for his trio, the Black Bayou Brass. This piece is a collection of short programmatic scenes that portray various times of day, animals, and scenery at the lush Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. The first movement, “Morning on the Bayou,” begins in calm stillness as birds slowly wake and begin singing. Bird calls are imitated with trills and sixteenth notes that oscillate between two notes. A major tonality in 6/8 time pervades the middle section of the movement as all the wildlife in the refuge go about their morning. The movement ends with a slow,  rhythmically augmented version of the opening as we settle in for the remainder of the day. Lunch time takes place in the second movement, “Chasing Prey,” as a quick-paced predator pursues small prey in hopes of a meal. You can hear the winding path of the chase and draw your own conclusions at the end.  “Bayou Boardwalk,” the third movement, employs a sweet swing that pays tribute to Louisiana's rich jazz heritage. This music accompanies a stroll down a wooden boardwalk in the park, under the trees and by the lake. One of the many common sights in bayous of the south is the haunting Cypress tree. The fourth movement, “Cypress Trees,” evokes the gauzy imagery of tangled roots, hanging moss, and tall canopies. A perpetual 8th note ostinato runs through the movement, representing the mesmerizing calm of the water, while long sustained lines portray the mystic beauty of the tall trees. 
The day in the Bayou ends with a sunset: “Fire in the Sky.” Strikingly vivid colors of pink, orange, and red flash across the sky in an end-of-day fanfare."

Sheet music to Scenes from the Bayou can be purchased on the publishers website: https://www.wavefrontmusic.com/scenes-from-the-bayou.html

Gina Gillie - Hornist & Composer: https://sites.google.com/a/plu.edu/gina-gillie---hornist-composer-vocalist/

Scenes from the Bayou, V. Fire In The Sky - Gina Gillie

EXTRAORDINARY TUNNELS, I. Gotthard Base Tunnel

Performed by The Troubled Euphs

EXTRAORDINARY TUNNELS is a challenging three-movement work for euphonium trio inspired by three European tunnels that traverse through gorgeous landscapes and scenery.

I. The Gotthard Base Tunnel (Switzerland): With a route length of 35.5 miles, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is the world’s longest railway tunnel. The Gotthard Base Tunnel runs through the Swiss Alps. This magnitude and beauty of the Alps is conveyed through exciting and angular melodic and rhythmic material, mixed meter, and metric modulation.

Sheet music available here: https://www.ianlestermusic.com/store/p28/EXTRAORDINARY_TUNNELS_%282023%29_-_for_Euphonium_Trio.html

Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester

EXTRAORDINARY TUNNELS, I. Gotthard Base Tunnel - Ian Lester

EXTRAORDINARY TUNNELS, II. Halnaker Tree Tunnel, III. Combe Laval

Performed by The Troubled Euphs

EXTRAORDINARY TUNNELS is a challenging three-movement work for euphonium trio inspired by three European tunnels that traverse through gorgeous landscapes and scenery.

II. Halnaker Tree Tunnel (England): While only 1.5 miles long, the Halnaker Tree Tunnel (Mill Lane) in West Sussex, England is a footpath that has sunken down over the years, leading the surrounding lines of trees to curve over the path. The resulting scenery looks like it came right out of a fairy tale. Dreamy textures and melodies and polyrhythms portray the magic of this tunnel.

III. Combe Laval (France): Combe Laval is an 18.56-mile-long road with a series of tunnels carved into the cliffs of the French Alps tucked away in Southeastern France. An energetic, polyrhythmic introduction leads into heroic solo passages and a driving finale.

Sheet music available here: www.ianlestermusic.com/store/p28/EXT…ium_Trio.html

Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester

EXTRAORDINARY TUNNELS, II. Halnaker Tree Tunnel, III. Combe Laval

Two Pieces for Three Trombones, I. Felicity by Raymond Premru

Performed by The Troubled Euphs

The first of two movements in Raymond Premru's Two Pieces for Trombones, "Felicity" is a beautiful and sensitive composition that features a gorgeous melody in the lead voice and lush harmonies and supporting lines in the other two voices. Although, originally written for three trombones, "Felicity" works wonderfully when performed by a euphonium trio given the warm timbre of the instrument.

Two Pieces for Three Trombones, I. Felicity - Raymond Premru

World premiere performance by Dr. Lee Harrelson

HAMMERSPACE is a work for solo euphonium and fixed media. Written for Dr. Lee Harrelson, this piece consists of three energetic sections, each with distinct themes. The first section “HAMMERSPACE” is inspired by the concept of the same name, which is the extradimensional, instantly accessible storage area in fiction used to explain how animated, comic, and game characters can produce objects out of thin air. The second section “The Neon Lights” draws inspiration from Synth Wave music. While slightly more laid back in tempo and feel, “The Neon Lights” continues to grow in intensity. The final portion of the piece “Euphonium vs. Synthesizer” is exactly what the name suggests: a battle of the bands-type scenario where the solo euphoniumist wages war against the synthesizers. The work ends with an ascending rip to a sustained high C (or optional high E) in the euphonium part, signifying victory for the soloist.

Sheet music (w/backing track) available here: https://www.ianlestermusic.com/store/p41/HAMMERSPACE_%282023%29_for_Euphonium_and_Fixed_Media.html

Copyright © 2023 Ian Lester

HAMMERSPACE - for euphonium and fixed media

World premiere performance by Scott Rogers

NIGHT FEEL is the result of a consortium for euphonium and fixed media led by SSgt. Scott Rogers in late Spring of 2024. NIGHT FEEL is meant to convey the perfect summer night. To some, that may consist of mingling with friends around a campfire by the lake. To others, it may be sitting in silence, gazing up at the stars in the sky. An opening narration by fellow composer and musician Grace Caggiano sets the scene of a clear, warm night with a cool breeze gliding through the trees. Multiple synthesizers take over, creating a lush soundscape. Sampled sounds of wind, water, crickets, an old rocking chair, friends talking, and a fizzling sparkler further emphasize the feeling of summer. The work ends with fifteen seconds of ambient summer sounds, wrapping up the perfect summer night.

Sheet Music will be available October 1, 2024.

Copyright © 2024 Ian Lester

NIGHT FEEL - for euphonium and fixed media

A native Michigander whose music has been described as "high energy", "innovative" and "very thoughtful and concise" (International Tuba and Euphonium Association), Dr. Ian Lester (b. 1994) is an award-winning composer, euphonium player, and teacher holding a Doctorate degree in euphonium performance and Master’s degree in composition from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, where he also previously received his Master's degree in euphonium performance. Ian received his Bachelor’s degree in euphonium performance and pursued additional composition studies at Oakland University in Michigan. Ian’s works have been performed and recorded by soloists, chamber ensembles, wind bands, and brass bands at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Fort Myer, and many universities and recital halls around the world. Notable achievements include winning the 2016 U.S. Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Composition Competition, receiving the 2018 Oakland University's Outstanding Student in Composition award, winning the 2018 North Texas Euphonium Quartet Composition Competition, the 2021 Mirari Brass Quintet Call for Scores, and the 2022 UMKC Composition Competition, being selected to attend the 2021 Julius String Quartet EMERGE Solstice Composition Workshop, along with winning both the inaugural 2023 North Texas I.T.E.A. Chapter Composition Competition and the 2023 I.T.E.A. R. Winston Morris Award for excellence in tuba/euphonium ensemble composition.

HAMMERSPACE - for euphonium and fixed media

Ian Lester

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