New Commission - 'Soliloquy II In The Cross'

I am excited to announce the completion of a brand new work for Piano and Euphonium from the pen of Howard Evans entitled 'Soliloquy II In The Cross'.

In April 2020, I was speaking to John Starkes about commissioning a new piece of music for the Euphonium which lead to me being put in contact with Howard Evans.

After an initial conversation with Howard Evans, the start of an exciting new project began, which was focused on creating a brand new solo work for Piano and Euphonium which was inspired by the overall theme of legacy and specifically inspired by the Hymn Tune 'Cross of Jesus' and a set of euphonium exercises which had been discovered by Steven Mead which were written in January 1903 by Thomas Brown during his time at Kneller Hall.

After many months of discussions, a brand new piece of music entitled 'Soliloquy II In The Cross' was bought to life. It is always exciting spending those first few weeks working on a brand new piece of music but this commission felt special from the moment I saw the piece for the first time.

'Soliloquy II In The Cross' has been dedicated in admiration of three people who include Thomas Brown, who as mentioned above, created a set of euphonium exercises in January 1903, whilst at Kneller Hall. My father Geoff Parsons, who has encouraged me and been a constant support and example to me throughout my playing career and finally Steven Mead, who has been my biggest source of inspiration and has supported me in every aspect of my life. 

Howard Evans writes: "A few years ago I wrote a Soliloquy based on an SA song by George Marshall called: Soliloquy (In the Stillness). This solo follows up the form of that solo, though it is quite different, and was a commission from Micah Dominic Parsons. I am very grateful for the impetus of that commission. The main inspiration is the tune 'Cross of Jesus' by John Stainer as well as a motif from some older Euphonium Studies from the Military School of Music, Kneller Hall. The tune is used in a chorale form, and after an introduction the first section is a reversal of the chorale that appears in the second half of the work. The euphonium exclamations are all derived from the main tune and the study motif. There is one new element in the coda, where the triplet motif is a direct quotation from 'Romans 8 - A Brass Celebration'' by Ray Steadman-Allen, who uses the same tune in this major brass band work. The work begins in quite a dark reflective manner and represents those aspects of the song, without being too specific. The second half obviously reflects the more positive characteristics and finds quite a triumphal nature in the end. The soloist lines throughout have a very declamatory style and can have a freedom in performance."

A few weeks ago, Howard Evans and Steven Mead recorded the premiere performance of 'Soliloquy II In The Cross'. I hope you enjoy this very special performance which can be accessed from the following link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl20MOhFTME.