Pony Express Trail (Brass Quintet & Woodblocks), Dr. Daniel Thrower

Composed by Dr. Daniel Thrower. Duration: 4:45. "Pony Express Trail" is the fourth substantial composition in a masterful series of "American Trails" for brass quintet. The Pony Express is an icon of the American West, and this piece commemorates the trail's 160th anniversary. The music is rambunctious, rhythmically unpredictable, and extremely exciting. Woodblocks allude to the clopping whirl of horse hooves, though not in a rhythmically mimicking manner. The opening motifs smack of cowboy music, subtly borrowed from Elmer Bernstein's "Magnificent Seven." Other influences include Copland, Holst, and Arnold. The middle slow sectoin memorializes the tragic loss of 16 lives.