Fisher Tull's Rhapsody For Trumpet And Band

Fisher Tull was born Waco, Texas in September 27th, 1934. Around the age of nine in the fifth grade, Fisher Tull began learning to play the trumpet which he continued to do throughout his schooling. As a trumpet player, Fisher Tull played both classical and jazz music and early in his life considered himself to be more of a jazz musician. Fisher Tull went on to enroll at The University of North Texas in 1952, where he earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Education. Following the completion of his first degree Tull went on to continue and complete his graduate studies at The University of North Texas in music theory and trumpet performance in 1957. While a graduate student, Tull served as the teaching assistant for both trumpet and arranging.

It was commissioned by the Plano High School Band under the direction of Charles Forque in 1980. This work was composed with trumpeter Doc Severinsen in mind. According to Professor of Trumpet Brian Shaw, the exact date of the premier is somewhat elusive due to the original programed performance being pulled at the last minute. Some have speculated that Doc Serverinsen became unavailable at the last minute. To this moment there is no evidence that Serverinsen has ever performed this work . Although there is some confusion about the exact date of the premiere, according to the program notes from the piano reduction music score the first performance of Tull’s Rhapsody was performed by Vincent DiMartino with the University of Kentucky Symphonic Band in 1982

Within the first section of the theme, Fisher Tull displays the trumpet’s wide range abilities. Not only does the first measure of the solo trumpet’s entrance covers a scale of over a fourteenth (one octaves plus a minor 7th) , the first section of this works also requires the trumpet to cover over two octaves in a relative short period of time. In addition, Tull’s use of extensive phrases makes this theme unique. Throughout the theme section Tull does not rely purely on the standard eight-bar phrasing practice. The climax of the main thematic material from the theme section can be interpret as a thirteen-bar phrase. Tull keeps building the anticipation of the musical texture not only by extending the phrase, but also by increase the range and volume of the solo trumpet to reach the peak before going into