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Repertoire - Classical, Jazz, Holiday, and Hawaiian |
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Classics to Contemporary The repertoire of The Kona Brass quintet covers a wide range of reverent and festive music from ancient 15th century to modern 21st century works. Some of these works have been written specifically for brass quintets, and others have been adapted for the quintet instrumentation. Classical music does not go out of style. And as one of our musicians so eloquently observed at one of our performances, "People really dig this old stuff!" The invention of the printing press in Europe in the mid-1400s enabled music to be reproduced and shared more easily with other musicians. At this same time, instrumental music began to develop. Consequently, this period coincides with the earliest music that we have in our brass quintet repertoire. This is the Renaissance period. Printed music was still fairly limited until the mid-1500s, when better techniques for printing music were developed. This launched the industry of music publication and distribution. The Baroque period, from the 1600s through the mid-1700s, was a time when elaborate music was composed throughout Europe. The feature of this music was complex harmony and rhythmic patterns woven between the instruments of the ensemble. After that followed the Classical period, from the mid-1700s through the early 1800s, and the Romantic period extending to 1900. Twentieth century music evolved in two primary directions: classical and jazz. There were other styles as well, including marches, and musicals for theatrical performances. The jazz style encompassed ragtime, blues, New Orleans style, swing, bebop and then formed the roots of rock. |
Secular and Sacred Brass ensemble music has evolved as it has intertwined with life events. From medieval times in Europe, the Christian church and the ruling monarchy were the two primary sources of funding for early music and musicians, and in many cases the monarchy was the head of the country's church. Many of the great composers in Europe held key roles in the church, as priests, organists, and choral directors, effectively serving as the "music ministers" to write and perform music that embodied the religious experience of their respective cathedrals. The spiritual essence of master composers including Nicolai, Gabrieli, Vivaldi, Mozart, Pachelbel, Bach, Purcell, Clarke, Handel, Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Speer, Pezel, and many others is conveyed in their rich music. Their music was originally performed as part of the prelude, postlude, ceremony and worship music at Saint Paul's, Westminster, Leipzig, Saint Mark's, Notre Dame, and other great cathedrals. As instrumental music developed, it began to replace or supplement choirs in churches throughout Europe. The works of Italian, German and Austrian composers such as Gabrieli, Speer and Pezel were performed extensively in churches by instrumental choirs. Composers even experimented with multiple instrumental choirs located throughout the cathedral for a magnificent "surround-sound" effect. The German Turmmusik (Tower music) developed in the 1500s to serve many purposes within the life of a German city. Musicians performed from the church tower to announce the beginning of the worship service. The musicians would also perform music throughout the day that was based on the melodies of hymns that were sung by the church choirs, to enrich the souls of the townspeople as they went about their daily activities. The wealthiest cities could attract the most talented composers and musicians. The citizens of Leipzig, Germany, enjoyed the music of Pezel, Bach, and many other highly gifted musicians on a daily basis. Folk, patriotic, and other secular melodies often became associated with worship. For example, What Child is This and O Come, O Come, Emmanuel are adaptations of medieval folk melodies. The theme from Beethoven's 9th Symphony, fourth movement, is known as the Ode to Joy or Himno a la Alegria. Music intended for theater-style entertainment sometimes has a religions theme, such as Handel's Messiah that was written as an oratorio. National patriotic music frequently has a religious theme. One example is the Battle Hymn of the Republic, which originated as a folk melody, but it is now famous for its moving lyrics, and thus it is often performed at presidential funerals and memorial services. As we moved into the twentieth century, many Gospel-style works have been composed at the same time as the evolution of jazz and rock, and the modern musical styles are reflected in this music. |
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Musical evolution will continue, and as a brass quintet we are able to perform music that was composed throughout the centuries. Listed here is a sample of the repertoire that we perform, organized by historical time period and recommended performance setting. Some of these works are for trios or quartets, but the overwhelming majority of the works are arranged for quintet. |
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Suitable for General and Religious Settings
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Suitable for General Settings
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Renaissance |
* Adoramus Te, Christe (O. di Lasso)
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* Four Madrigals (Gesualdo)
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Baroque |
* Arioso (Handel)
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* Rigaudon (Campra)
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Classical and Romantic |
* Fugue (Schumann)
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* Cancan (Offenbach)
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20th Century Classical |
* Three Chorales (Uber)
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* Brisk Game (Kabalevsky)
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Christmas |
* Angels we have Heard on High - Westminster Carol
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* Christmas Festival (Anderson)
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Hawaiian |
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* Aloha Oe (Queen Liliuokalani)
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Hymns, American Folk, Ragtime, and Polkas |
* Abide with Me
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* Beer Barrel Polka
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Hymns, Gospel, Jazz and Swing |
* Amazing Grace
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* Ain't Misbehavin (Waller)
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Musicals |
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* Fiddler on the Roof (Harnick)
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Patriotic and Marches |
* The Star Spangled Banner
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* American Patrol (Meacham)
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Wedding Ceremony Music |
* Bridal March (Wagner)
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Other International Music |
* Hava Nagila
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* Auld Lang Syne
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