Faye-Ellen Silverman
A Time to Mourn
Year: 2022
Duration (in minutes): 5'
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: solo brass instrument
Instruments: trumpet
Publisher: Subito Music Corp.
Publisher website: https://www.subitomusic.com/
Purchase score URL: https://www.subitomusic.com/shop/
Description: A Time to Mourn, for flugelhorn, is a musical elegy for Joan Fann, to whom the work is dedicated. The title comes from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, which states that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." This work is built around the opening motive A F A (written pitch)– the musical representation of Joan Fann’s name. The pitch A becomes central to much of the work. A secondary motive is Eb A for Susan Slaughter (S becomes Eb in music), her longtime companion. Near the end of the work the A F A is directly followed by Eb A Eb. The work starts mournfully, then becomes more agitated settling, finally, on acceptance – a quote from Silent Night (“Sleep in heavenly peace”) as the work ends. (The ending has dual meanings, as Joan Fann was also involved in organizing the IWBC’s Holiday Brass Concerts.) This work premiered at the IWBC 2022 Conference, performed by Amy Gilreath.