Curtis Biggs: Echo Canyon for Unaccompanied Trombone

My wife and I took our two boys to visit family in Utah during a winter break in December and January of 2019/2020. Going through one of the mountain ranges, we heard the wind singing through the canyon. A melody came through the pitches in the wind. After driving through, my wife and I both made recordings of ourselves singing what we could remember. After letting the experience sit in my mind for a few months, I took the recordings out and used them as the pitch material for this piece. The opening of "Part 1: The Canyon Speaks" is a note for note transcription of the recording I made. The opening of "Part 2: Wind Meditations" is a transcription of the recording my wife made. The music throughout the piece evokes the moods and feelings of hearing the wind singing through the canyon.

This piece was also partially inspired by another unaccompanied trombone piece, Meditative Longing by Norman Bolter. Both are meditative in nature, and end using the same unique combination of techniques. The ending has a long sustained drone using circular breathing. While the drone is being held, the performer sings the opening melody through the trombone. At the same time, the left hand is used to improvise timbre changes with the wah-wah mute. These techniques are uncommon for the trombone, but they imitate techniques that are commonly used in didgeridoo playing.

I premiered this work on November 14th, 2020 in Bryan Hall at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.