Soliloquy

Pat Shaner has been a good friend, and a longtime supporter of my music. He has always been patient when collaborating on new music with me (i.e. “when you can get around to it”). I feel so guilty when not able to produce scores for him until some 6 months later… But, I am happy to say that this “Soliloquy” is a result of his patience, and is a work composed for a special friend and colleague of his: David Lawson.

Pat specifically requested a melodic work, where the trumpet is secondary. Therefore I have endeavored to create a work that can be emotionally powerful whether using trumpet or not. Pat had sent me some samples of Mr. Lawson at work, and I noticed a pattern in his playing: an active left hand, with notes weaving in and around the melody in the right hand. Consequently, the following music consists of just that.

Soliloquy is defined as “an act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers” – and it occurred to me that this is often the case when an organist plays in church: where church-goers filing in or filing out are often oblivious to the music being played beautifully by the organist. (This is not a complaint; merely an observation). I hope this won’t be the case when this music gets played, but the title was attractive to me nonetheless.

Thank you, Pat, for your continued support of my music. It is people like you that allow us composers to continue our craft, and for this I am forever grateful.

Jim Stephenson June 2, 2015