Michael Udow

Antiphonal Brass and Percussion: 9 Trumpets, 9 Piccolo Trumpets, 9 Horns, 9 Trombones, 6 Tubas, and 6 Field Drums

Composer's Note:

In the Tyrol, carved wooden Alpenhorns were historically used for intercommunication, festivals, and various ceremonies. In Ghana,Asante and Akan Atumpan drummers communicate through both talking and signal drumming. Drum towers spaced along China’s Great Wall were used for signaling approaching danger by marauders. In the Middle Ages, small yet powerful brass and percussion groups were located in steeples to warn the citizenry from tower to tower of impending danger. Eventually, back-and-forth antiphonal concert music, known as “tower music,” was popularized.

Publisher's Note:

Note that the brass ensemble should be divided and spatialized into three groups.