Eurydice V. Osterman

Trilogy for Easter

Trilogy for Easter was inspired by an earlier independent piece, Fantasia: The Resurrection published in the collection King of Kings: Organ Music of Black Composers, Past and Present—Volume 4. It eventually grew into a three-movement composition.

"Fanfare: Triumphant Entry" begins with a trumpet blast representing the heralding of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, accompanied by the cries of "hallelujah" and "hosanna" from the crowd that showered his path with palm branches.

"Soliloquy: From Gethsemane to the Tomb" is a slow piece that uses quartal/quintal harmony, constant harmonic shifts, modal melodies, and scale passages in the pedal that represent the walk from site to site.

"Toccata: The Resurrection" is a tonal piece. The first four notes in the pedal reference the first four notes of the "Fanfare," and are developed into a melody that is repeated several times throughout the piece.