Score and parts here.

Programme note:

The Fifth Dimension

There is a school of thought that argues that all musical material is generated from two intervals: the fifth and the octave.  I cannot say that I subscribe to this theory (pace Pythagoras), but there is something about the interval of the fifth – probably stemming from hunting calls and fanfares on valveless instruments – which seems to me especially at home with brass instruments.  So I set out to find out what music I could create focusing exclusively on this special interval. 

The Fifth Dimension follows an arch-like trajectory.  A slow, descending fanfare idea gradually speeds up and moves from an exclusively diatonic environment into a densely chromatic one.  After a brief outburst, there is a central section, featuring a virtuoso euphonium solo sandwiched between two statements of a lyrical melodic line.  The opening section then returns transformed by ornate scales, which eventually overrun the texture, bringing the piece to a rousing conclusion.