Penny and the Cats
- Trombone Ensemble (eight trombones)
- Completed: 27 May 2025; Premiered: 27 July 2025
- Sheet Music Direct
- Sheet Music Plus
This composition is for eight trombones - six tenors and two basses.
Penny is a 115-pound Anatolian Shepherd stray who adopted us and our farm several years ago. She beningly ignores our two farm cats, focusing her attention on the nearby coyotes that only she can hear. The cats are, nevertheless, devoted to their giant protector.
The slow section uses quartal harmonies (four legs – get it?). The faster section relies mostly on major triads with an added ninth, with some dominant chords to provide a sense of movement. Letter F develops a previous melody, implying a fugal treatment that can't quite commit. Letters G and H compress that melody before the piece returns to earlier material.
