John Frith

Behind the Mask

Behind the mask was written in 2005 for Jonathan Warburton, who is actively commissioning and performing new works for the bass trombone. Although my piece could not be considered cutting edge "avant-garde", it does make serious demands (both technical and musical) of the player. The piece contains many jazz/blues references, which refer to Jonathan’s interest in big band music, these include a number of glissandi and vibrato effects which should be played in a jazzy idiom. The title refers to the contrast between our formal exterior (as depicted in the opening statement) and our more sensitive inner-selves, which I have characterised in the "semplice" (simply) section where the opening melody is developed over a piano ostinato. The solo cadenza gives vent to more troubled thoughts, but with the reintroduction of the opening theme peace is restored again, with the exception of the final few bars where the soloist shows a bit of "attitude" as he/she lets off some 'steam!’ NB. The sung note at bar 98 is very effective but can be considered optional.