This is an excerpt from the second movement from a wind ensemble piece I am currently working on that tells a circus horror story, written in three movements. Each movement represents a dream that one of the fire dancers has before each show night, except for the final movement which is the night after the shows are over. The first two movements are two conjoined nightmares and the third being a much happier dream. What you are hearing is from the second movement as well as the climax to the whole piece, where in the dream the dancer goes insane and seeks revenge on the directors, and ends up killing one of them in the process(yes it is a pretty messed up story)as heard by the slapstick and the long unison trombone glissando. Enjoy this sneak peak of what I am working on!

Carnimare (Excerpt)

Ever since I saw the e-mail about how businesses, events, educational institutions, and other facilitates are being closed because of the coronavirus, including Illinois State, my university, the idea of a brass fanfare came in my mind. The title Outbreak comes from not only the coronavirus, but many other events, such as a possibility for World War III, have sprung up within the first few months of the year 2020. Set for brass ensemble and percussion, the piece symbolizes the chaos happening all around us, even though we are not even halfway through the year.

Patrick Grogan