Description

Vellichor for solo trumpet in Bb (duration: 4’)

for Mikayla Warner

Vellichor is a short fantasy for solo trumpet written as part of my project to take on “mini-commissions” for unaccompanied works during the spring and summer of 2020.

From John Koenig’s “Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows”: vellichor (n.): the strange wistfulness of used bookstores.

The wide variety of moods in this piece are inspired by the vast range of stories contained in books, from fairy tales to horror stories. Vellichor opens with a stately fanfare before moving into a lyrical songlike section that leads to a mysterious cadenza. A dramatic interlude then follows and the majestic fanfare returns to bring the piece to a close.