The brass quintet at Ole Miss (and this was several years ago) formerly featured a second trumpet player who was a composer, and had written a children’s piece - for the three lower instruments in the brass quintet - called
“Three Billy Goats Gruff”…
…three players…three movements
As I recall, he asked us to read it at the end of a rehearsal - shortly before a recruiting tour…and then asked us to read it again at the end of the last rehearsal. (We assumed that he just wanted to hear his piece played…) When we were touring, the three of us were somewhat shocked to discover that we were expected to perform it (after only two read-throughs)…
… but we pulled it up - in front of the students at the schools - and played it.
Even this recital performance - at Ole Miss, upon our return – still didn’t have all the bugs worked out of it, because we really didn’t “practice/polish“ it… We just “muscled through” it (again: in front of a bunch of kids at a few schools).
… The three of us lived apart in nearly an equilateral triangular pattern - about an hour and a half apart from each other, so there was no “getting together“ - other than when we normally met.
Though certainly not at a wonderfully precise performance, the humor completely comes through, and I thought some of you might enjoy listening - and might (??) consider programming it on a recital (if for no other reason, to give the trumpets a break).
Of course, Ole Miss records all faculty recitals, but I was surprised to find this (uploaded by the composer) on YouTube. I was looking for something else, and saw it, clicked on a couple of the movements, and laughed again at Micah‘s trombone “goat bleats“.
