Song

Description

Song (2009)

for trumpet and piano or organ

duration: 5’

Composed in memory of my friend, Neal Bedford

Song is taken from the second movement of my Euphonium Sonata, which was composed for Adam Frey in 2007.

A very good friend of mine, Neal Bedford, passed away in the spring of 2009, and I asked if I could present a musical tribute in his honor at his memorial service. He was a former trumpeter himself, and was very involved in the music business, whether through his work as a radio producer, or through generous giving, both financially and with his time. Neal was very instrumental in the development of the business side of my career as a composer. He always took time to meet with me, and would have new suggestions for things “I needed to do” every time I saw him.

The music is of an elegiac nature, but with an almost minimalist and euphoric middle section. In the end, it returns almost to just the place where it began; reminiscent of the cycle of life.

Jim Stephenson May, 2009