Episode 95 — March 16, 2021
Burt Mason: "Monuments" for brass ensemble
Performed by Burt Mason, Daniel Hall, Timothy Robinson, Jasper Davis, Andy Madej

In this House Music series video, composer and trombonist Burt Mason performs Monuments from The Symphony of Brotherhood, which is inspired by Martin Luther King Jr’s quote: “With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.” Mason began writing this piece in 2015 as a way of reacting to the racially motivated violence he has witnessed throughout his life, but took a hiatus from it for some time. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he found himself returning to writing this music, responding to recent Black Lives Matter activism surrounding police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, among others. 

Mason began working with Metropolis Ensemble in 2015, when he performed as a trombonist on their San Fermin concert at Lincoln Center’s stunning Appel Room. But the Metropolis collaboration that stands out most in his memory was 2015’s Drifting in Daylight, where he sailed in a loop around Central Park’s Harlem Meer playing with a brass ensemble in black tie attire. It was one of the most unique concert experiences he’s been part of in his career. He appreciates how concerts like Drifting in Daylight are large-scale and cutting edge, pushing boundaries with their unconventional attitude towards musical performance.

Monuments presents one of the brighter sections of the symphony, centering a majestic, radiant melody that was inspired by Washington, DC monuments like the Martin Luther King Jr Monument, John F Kennedy Flame, and Lincoln Memorial. The music Mason writes here is rooted in social justice, and he dedicates the symphony to the honor and legacy Martin Luther King Jr., the great leaders of our country that have fought for justice, and those who have lost their lives in the struggle for racial equality and justice. He intends for this to act as a unifying force, centering the dream for an equitable future without pointing fingers. A longer snippet from the symphony will be released in May 2021.

Notes by Vanessa Ague

 
House Music: Bite-sized concerts recorded at homes around the world

In 2020-21, we created a weekly video series featuring short-form concerts of newly-commissioned works, supporting 208 artists around the world during the pandemic.