I composed this piece for trumpet and piano to celebrate the 700th anniversary of The Declaration of Arbroath, one of Scotland’s most important artefacts. The Declaration is in the form of a letter, in Latin, submitted by the nobles of Scotland to Pope John XXII on 6th April 1320 to confirm Scotland’s status as an independant, sovereign country.

 

After a short introduction on the piano the trumpet enters with a melody which takes the form of a Scottish Ballad. The accompaniment on the piano is simple chords which grow in intensity as the ballad develops. After the piano repeats the melody in the high register the trumpet enters with a recapitulation of the main theme. The Andante draws to a close with the trumpet being accompanied by simple but effective arpeggios on the piano.

 

The Allegro Vivo is in the form of a Scottish Jig and is based on the Jacobite  song “Oer the Water to Charlie”.The Jig starts in 7/8 and develops through 12/8 and 13/8 giving the feeling of turbulence. After a quiet muted section the Jig returns in its full glory with the trumpeter showing his virtuosity.