“…since I say it now” (2010) 4′

In 2008, I composed Chant for trombone and bass clarinet. This work is characterized by its hectic and noisy nature but concludes with a quasi-tonal, two-part melody that the trombone player both plays and sings through the instrument. Since then, this section from Chant has been incorporated into three additional compositions for trombone: the sixth and final movement of “… but I must have said this before …” for trombone and ensemble, “… I have said this before …” for trombone and orchestra, and “… since I say it now” for trombone and piano.

The trombone parts share similarities across all three pieces, but the accompanying instruments – bass clarinet, ensemble, or piano – create dramatically different atmospheres. In the trombone and piano version, the piano contributes dark, rumbling chords and simple chord repetitions to complement the lyrical trombone part. The title “… since I say it now” is drawn from Samuel Beckett’s novel The Unnamable. The phrase “… but I must have said this before, since I say it now” is also used repeatedly by Luciano Berio in his Sinfonia.