Review

Jim Hopson
Fire & Ice:
Brass ensemble and percussion: 4 B-flat trumpets, 2 F horns, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, snare drum, bass drum

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2022
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 6+ brass (choir)

Jim Hopson is a remarkably versatile performer, instructor, and arranger. Most recently he premiered his own Alpenhorn Concerto with the Vancouver, CA based West Coast Symphony. Fire & Ice is a pulsating, quasi-fanfare for brass choir and percussion.

The work is cast in a clear, three-part form. In the opening section, the four trumpet parts are characterized by rapid, double-tongued ostinato. The horn parts enter with dramatic rips that lead into a soaring melody line. Short, powerful chords from the trombones punctuate the section in conjunction with a more active walking bass tuba line.

The middle section is in 4/4 meter with occasional 6/8 measures. The trombone parts now have the soaring melody lines. The horn parts are given a rhythmic accompaniment organized 3+3+2. The trumpet parts interrupt at the 6/8 meter changes. More horn rips usher in a transitional section now in 6/4 meter. The trumpets return to fast, staccato figurations above legato arpeggiation in the low brass. This section serves as a transition, preparing the repeat of section one. The coda reprises ideas from sections two and three before drawing to an abrupt close.

Fire & Ice is an intense, captivating work intended for an advanced ensemble. Fast tempos, quarter note=140, provide the primary challenge of the work. Its tessituras are reasonable for experienced players. The first trumpet part contains several high c³’s, but the other parts remain in the staff. The horn parts are challenging, featuring rips, trills, and fortissimo lines into the upper register. The low brass parts are reasonable yet fulfilling. Its two and a half minutes of excitement will fit the bill at the beginning or end of any concert.