JUST A CLOSER WALK FOR BRASS QUINTET, arr. Don Gillis (1912 - 1978)

04.09.2022 Graduate Chamber Recital
West Chester University in PA

Just a Closer Walk With Thee is a traditional New Orleans street band piece. Characteristically, it would have been played in a solemn funeral procession from the church to the cemetery. Following the slow, dirge-like beginning, the up-tempo rendition beginning in measure 38 represents a happy send-off to a better life. The original melody has been found in hymnals dating as early as 1860. From the earliest roots of Dixieland style, musicians have often improvised on music they knew from attending church services.

Zach Walter, trumpet
Brand Davis, trumpet
Chris DeVona, horn
Hojun Kim, trombone
Brandon Mooney, tuba


Happy practicing!!:)