Description
Tour de Force was first written for symphony orchestra following the Pacific Symphony’s first European Tour — hence the title. The dictionary defines Tour de Force as “a display of strength, skill, or ingenuity” and I hope my piece is too.
This Brass Band version was inspired by my friend, conductor James Gourlay and the members of The River City Brass. The piece is a series of nine segue episodes beginning with a fast, loud flourish of cascading notes slowing and resting on a Pedal B-flat in the low instruments.
Tour de Force has been recorded by James Gourlay and the River City Brass
Jim Self is a Los Angeles free-lance musician, a veteran of thousands of motion pictures, television shows and records, and tuba soloist on many prominent movies. He is Principal Tubist with the Pasadena and Pacific Symphonies, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Los Angeles Opera and Opera Pacific orchestras. His compositions and arrangements include works for solo tuba, brass quintet, and other brass and woodwind chamber music.
More about Jim and his recordings can be found here:
Basset Hound Music – http://www.bassethoundmusic.com
