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INSTRUMENTATION<br />
Solo Flugelhorn, Trombone, and Euphonium<br />
Flute I, II<br />
Oboe<br />
Bb Clarinet I, II, III<br />
Bass Clarinet<br />
Bassoon<br />
Alto Saxophone I, II<br />
Tenor Saxophone<br />
Baritone Saxophone<br />
Trumpet in Bb I, II<br />
Horn I, II<br />
Trombone I, II<br />
Euphonium<br />
Tuba<br />
Timpani<br />
Percussion I:<br />
Percussion II:<br />
Percussion III:<br />
Percussion IV:<br />
Percussion V:<br />
Percussion VI:<br />
Percussion VII:<br />
Percussion<br />
Crash Cymbals, Mark Tree, and Snare Drum<br />
Bass Drum<br />
Suspended Cymbal<br />
Marimba I (upper marimba)<br />
Marimba II (lower marimba)<br />
Glockenspiel<br />
Triangle, Tubular Bells, and Vibraphone<br />
PROGRAM NOTES<br />
Michael Westbrook was a one-of-a-kind music educator who one of the very first to lose h<strong>is</strong> life to COVID-19 in late March of 2020. He was an in-demand<br />
trumpet player and was a core member of the Symphony of Southeast Texas for more than thirty years, led the Spindletop Brass Quintet, and played jazz at clubs<br />
and casinos around the Texas-Lou<strong>is</strong>iana border. As a trumpet player myself, I even played a few gigs with him back when I was pursuing my undergraduate<br />
degree at Lamar University, our alma mater. Mr. Westbrook also directed bands at Hardin-Jefferson ISD and was a patient but demanding leader. H<strong>is</strong> favorite<br />
hymn was “<strong>It</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>Well</strong> With My Soul” and when Dr. Andrew McMahan approached me to compose th<strong>is</strong> piece I knew I had to use it.<br />
The piece features three solo<strong>is</strong>ts: flugelhorn, trombone and euphonium. The Southeast Texas music community lost two other influential figures in addition to<br />
Mr. Westbrook: Amy Pallone, who passed of cancer in April 2020, and David Johnson who lost h<strong>is</strong> battle with depression in October of 2019. Amy played the<br />
trombone and David played the Euphonium, hence the inclusion of these two instruments.<br />
<strong>It</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>Well</strong> begins with a broad full-band treatment of the climax of the “<strong>It</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>Well</strong>” hymn which <strong>is</strong> subverted, making way for my new original melodic material<br />
stated by the three solo<strong>is</strong>ts over a single pitch that <strong>is</strong> mostly hummed by the wind ensemble, which <strong>is</strong> meant to serve as somewhat of a reminder of how influential<br />
these folks were to all of the students in their careers . After the solo<strong>is</strong>ts state the melodic material, there <strong>is</strong> a brief flirtation with “<strong>It</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>Well</strong>” in the woodwinds<br />
before a dark restatement of the original material in the solo<strong>is</strong>ts again over humming. One final statement of the melodies <strong>is</strong> performed by the wind ensemble<br />
(with the solo<strong>is</strong>ts providing lines on top) and culminates in a climactic statement of “<strong>It</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>Well</strong>” that <strong>is</strong> once again subverted. The piece ends with the trumpet<br />
solo<strong>is</strong>t holding onto their pitch for as long as possible, just like we hope to hold onto the ones we love, even in memory, for as long as possible.<br />
PERFORMANCE NOTES<br />
For the humming, the students should hum (closed) the single pitch (in other words, do not allow the men to sing down the octave). <strong>It</strong> <strong>is</strong> out of the range of the<br />
student (too high for the male/low for the female), please simply have them leave out the humming.<br />
Although it <strong>is</strong> preferred that the original solo instruments be included to keep with the spirit and original intent of the piece, solo trombone and euphonium parts<br />
may be substituted for other brass instruments and parts are available upon request.<br />
<strong>It</strong> Is <strong>Well</strong> was comm<strong>is</strong>sioned by:<br />
Andrew McMahan, director of bands (consortium leader)<br />
Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music<br />
Lamar University<br />
Kevin Stone, director of bands<br />
Barbers Hill Band Booster Club<br />
Barbers Hill High School<br />
Gary and Judy <strong>Well</strong>s<br />
Steven Brown and Stephen Sterling, directors<br />
Hudson High and Middle Schools<br />
Hudson ISD<br />
Alex <strong>Well</strong>s, director of bands<br />
Port Neches - Groves High School Band<br />
Port Neches - Groves ISD<br />
Todd Dock, director of bands<br />
Diboll ISD<br />
Russell Hopkins, Taylor Moore and Maesey Arnett, directors<br />
Warren ISD<br />
Kevin Knight, director of bands<br />
Crosby ISD<br />
Jose Ochoa, director of bands<br />
Little Cypress Mauriceville HS Band<br />
Little Cypress Mauriceville CISD<br />
Kara Phillips, Carl Woodall and Jeff Westmoreland, directors<br />
Vidor High School<br />
Vidor ISD<br />
Greg Rose, Gary Janacek, Justin Collazo, Eric Rose, and<br />
Jonathan Blake, directors<br />
Nederland ISD<br />
Martin Trammel and Marshall Swift, directors<br />
Hardin-Jefferson ISD<br />
Liberty High School Band<br />
Sean Smith and Jessie Smith, directors<br />
Liberty ISD<br />
Kurt Killion<br />
Swicegood Music Company<br />
Beaumont, Texas
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