Kyrie (Kyrie Eleison) by Mr. Mister Jazz Ensemble - Digital Sheet Music

Jazz Ensemble - Level 5 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1887290

By Mr. Mister. By John Lang; Richard Page; Steve George. Arranged by John La Barbera. This edition: pdf, streaming. Big Band, Contest, Festival, Jazz, Rock. 96 pages. Deaver Enterprises ASCAP #1445605. Published by Deaver Enterprises ASCAP (A0.1887290).

"Kyrie" 8 1/2 X 11 Score & Parts

In preparation for my second big band recording, “Fantazm,” I assembled a number of songs that had been in the back of my mind for quite some time. Some were well known and some, not so well known works from the jazz anthology. However, I was lacking one song to fill out the list and reviewed quite a number of old recordings in search of just the right one. What I was looking for was a trumpet feature for my lead trumpet player Wayne Bergeron.

As it turned out, I was looking in the wrong direction, I should have looked forward. Driving one day, a pop song jumped out of the car radio that practically screamed Wayne’s name. For a player like Wayne Bergeron, whose range and command are legendary, "Kyrie" (the 1985 hit by Mr. Mister) was, I think, an inspired choice. It has exactly what a lead trumpet feature needs: a strong melodic hook, clear harmonic movement, and that anthemic, almost spiritual lift in the chorus.

Those qualities translate surprisingly well into a jazz orchestra context especially if you’re building a trumpet feature. It’s funny how the radio can sometimes be the best “A&R man.” Transitioning from "searching the anthology" to "listening to the airwaves" often yields the freshest results because it forces you to re-contextualize the music. That’s a great reflection on how repertoire choices can evolve and honestly, it highlights a bigger truth about arranging: sometimes the most compelling material isn’t buried in the past; it’s hiding in plain sight.

Obviously, you’ll need a very strong soloist to handle this feature but the rest of the arrangement isn’t as challenging as it might sound. The 1st trumpet part has a top note of D above the staff and it probably falls into a grade 4-5 category. Since the dynamic range throughout is narrow (loud & louder) it helps to exaggerate the dynamics, especially between the mf opening melody at m. 16 & f. at m. 40. Pay close attention to the trumpet rhythms at m. 58 which don’t syncopate with the trombones and saxes. The sax solo can be extended between mm. 100-140 to give your trumpet soloist a little break. The conducted intro can be played without flutes if necessary or rescored for altos.