Love Songs and Shanties (Trombone Solo) , Paul McGhee. Brass Band.

Love Songs and Shanties (Trombone Solo), Paul McGhee. Brass Band.

Love Songs and Shanties was commissioned by Annabelle Pattinson as a 50th birthday present for her husband, Martyn. Having known and played in brass bands with Martyn for many years it was an honour to write a piece for such a great friend and fantastic person.

Martyn and Annabelle share a love of folk music and regularly attend concerts and festivals throughout the year. It was this love of folk music and sea shanties that I wanted to capture in the music.

Love Songs and Shanties is in five sections, which run continuously. Weaving together well-known folk melodies and shanties the music moves between calm and manic moments over an every changing sonic background.

Throughout the piece the music is often interrupted by the drunken sailor - who interjects and disrupts the music with his ever-increasing inebriated motif. Indeed, it is the drunken sailor who helps the music to continually move forward and go to places that are not immediately expected.