Ablaze Bruce W. Tippette

Band
Number of Players:Standard
Copyright:2016
Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe 1
Oboe 2
Bassoon 1
Bassoon 2
B-flat Clarinet 1
B-flat Clarinet 2
B-flat Clarinet 3
Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1
Alto Saxophone 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

B-flat Trumpet 1
B-flat Trumpet 2
B-flat Trumpet 3
F Horn 1
F Horn 2
F Horn 3
F Horn 4
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Trombone 3
Euphonium
Baritone T.C.
Tuba

Timpani (4 drums)
Mallet Percussion (xylophone, bells, chimes)
Percussion 1 (snare drum, bass drum)
Percussion 2 (suspended cymbal, crash cymbals, bongos, wind chimes)
Ablaze is a reworking of a piano solo I composed for my senior undergraduate piano recital. It was one of my favorite compositions in college, but I always felt there could be more voices involved. About 7 years later, as I was finishing up my graduate work, I began to compose Ablaze as a wind ensemble piece. The final product is a rhythmically driven and percussive piece, intertwined with lyrical melodies, conjuring the image of a fire setting its surroundings ablaze. The wind ensemble provides the ultimate flourish of colors that I was unable to achieve for the piano alone.

- B.W.T.