Brass Band

Sunday in the Park (Eb Horn Solo)

Grade 4 | 6 Mins

Sunday in the Park was written for tenor horn virtuoso, Sheona White, and commissioned by her partner, Matt Wade, as a Christmas present.

Composer Philip Sparke had known and admired Sheona’s playing for many years, having produced her first solo CD and written pieces for her before. Composer and player are both huge fans of the late Karen Carpenter, Sheona in part modelling her sound on the singer’s sultry voice; so it was decided that this new solo would be a piece which, whilst not being a ‘Carpenters’ pastiche, paid tribute their relaxed style and rich harmonic language.

Sunday in the Park opens with an accompanied cadenza for the soloist, which leads to a gently rhythmic melody with a laid-back feel. This is taken up by the band but the soloist sparks a change of mood by introducing a faster light rock interlude. This reaches a climax, at which point the music unwinds until the original mood returns. A variation on the original melody leads to a short cadenza from the soloist, which brings the work to a peaceful close.