Jan van der Roost

... Unanswered ...

This work was written at the request of the trombone section of the Osakan Philharmonic Winds, a professional Japanese wind orchestra with which the composer has already worked several times as a guest conductor. The orchestra played the world premiere of the work on April 3, 2025 at the Minoh Theatre in Tokyo. During the time of the composition's creation, something very tragic happened in the fall of 2024: a colleague of the composer, Mark Joris, set off on his own on a hike in the mountains. After a few days, however, contact broke off and since then there has been no trace of him. Retired professional trombonist Mark Joris was convinced that the trombone was perfect for chorale-like passages or themes. In close consultation with the commissioning orchestra, Van der Roost decided not to compose a festive or exuberant work, but a dignified one, in the spirit of Mark Joris (1952–2024) and in memory of him. Contrapuntal and imitative voices characterize the beginning of the composition, but the music gradually becomes darker, more fragmented and more thoughtful. The ending sounds like a chorale, but by using a mute, the sound is muffled or "muted". Despite the grief, the unanswered questions and the great loss, the composer wanted to recall the many wonderful moments of Mark Joris's life with hopeful sounds. After 72 bars – corresponding to his years of life – the work ends in subdued beauty with a fading major triad.