Once In A Blue Moon (for Euphonium and Band)

“Once in a Blue Moon” is a concerto for euphonium and wind ensemble written by a young Taiwanese composer, Wan-Yun Liang. According to the composer, this romantic piece is telling a story about “two lovers who coincidentally met, fell in love and watched the moon under the moonlight.” This piece consists of four sections without break. The music begins with a lovely main theme played by the soloist. This first section, marked Adagio, is in the style of the blues. It is followed by a fast section and a tango style third section. After a brief cadenza, the main theme comes back in a dance tempo. In this final section, the clarinet section will play the counter melody when the soloist presents the main melody. After that, trumpets and saxophones players will play the main tune while the counter melody will be played by the soloist. This represents the two lovers dancing happily under the moon.