Tempered Steel Charles Rochester Young

As we grow stronger and more resilient through hardship, we become "tempered." Tempered Steel is a celebration of our triumph over these unavoidable hardships and obstacles that we regularly face. It rejoices in the tenacious and unrelenting resolve that is part of us all. As the title implies, the metallic sonorities of the wind band are continually explored and developed throughout the work, while the "tempest" is a symmetric hexachord that is exposed and developed through a variety of juxtaposed gestures and themes.

Tempered Steel was "forged" in 1997 as the first work to be commissioned by the Big 12 Band Directors Association. It was premiered by the Baylor University Wind Ensemble at the College Band Directors National Association convention in Kansas City, Missouri, that year.

Besetzungsliste / Instrumentation:

Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including:

Bass Drum
Brake Drums (2)
Chimes
Crash Cymbals
Crotales
Maracas
Marimba
Slap-stick
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Triangle (2)
Tambourine
Tam-tam (2)
Vibraphone
Woodblock (large)
Xylophone