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The Introduction and Passacaglia for Organ and Bass Trombone was inspired by a friend at University - Michelle Rondeau - who is a bass trombonist. The piece is intended to showcase the tonal colours and power of the organ as well as the versatility and strength of the bass trombone. I have been informed that a tenor trombone might also be able to play the part, and that with little adjustment, so could a euphonium; I am not a brass instrument player, and so have no knowledge as to whether or not these things are true.
The Introduction uses the choral theme and the fanfare (found later in the Passacaglia) to construct a short leading section. Only sixteen and a half bars long, it allows the trombone to wander all around its range, playing with ideas that will all show up again later, including the main theme itself.
The Passacaglia is a collection of 20 variations over a ground bass, ranging from the mounrful to the energetic, and exploring a wide variety of harmonic constructions. The central point of the work is a funeral procession, choral and elegy where both instruments show off their expressive and dynamic capabilities. From there, the piece continues in contrapuntal variations, speeding back up and, in fact, moving ever faster as it approaches its final conclusion.
The Introduction and Passacaglia is about eleven minutes long. It is definitely a concert piece, and makes use of a number of dissonant harmonies and strong clashes. Both parts are difficult but playable, although I've had to take the word of brass players with regards to the trombone. It is a strongly contrapuntal work, and very thickly textured, using large block chords in much of the organ part, so it must be registered and played with some care, or it could be overwhelming to the audience. This piece has yet to recieve a premiere, and I'm looking forward to hearing it when it does.