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NEW MUSIC by Denzil Stephens
Autumn 2007

Time is my enemy when it comes to writing new music, but I am very pleased with my efforts to provide interesting yet educational music for the Lostwithiel Beginner Brass group which I started in September last year (2006).     When I started the group I had 4 cornets, 2 being just first year beginners technically, 1 tenor horn, 2 euphoniums (husband and wife helpers ) and 1 Eb bass.     I started to write four very easy pieces with attractive titles, with each part having a tune to play at some time in the piece.    Gradually more players came into the group and I really enjoyed composing tunes to the template I started off with, using S.A.T.B. as a basis.

The beginner brass group seemed to enjoy coming to the Saturday morning sessions, and I kept on adding to the library, making sure that each piece had something different for the beginners to attempt, including dynamics, different time signatures and keys, counting of rests, changing styles, different rhythms, and slightly increasing the range of notes.

The group has already brought the house down at our recent band and choir concert, and are looking forward to the next concert when they will perform new pieces in front of their parents and friends. Please see the main web site for titles and prices of the music.      www.sarnia-music.com

My next long term project is to write a concerto for euphonium, something that I had at the back of my mind for some time.   I have written the middle movement in draft form which I hope to include in a future concert with a guest artist - I do not know why the middle movement first, but that is how it has progressed so far, the opening movement themes only sketched out in rough, work on this continuing in bursts of activity.
Denzil Stephens                                                                                           home