The opening theme came to me one day as I was walking around town, just whistling little made up melodies. Suddenly this bluesy tune came out of nowhere and I instantly realized I had something interesting here. I notated it in my head and then hurried home to write it down so that I didn’t forget it. I built the rest of the piece around the theme and arranged it for the brass quintet Philharmonic Brass Luzern, who had asked me for a piece. After the fact I put a “program” to the music: Oh, No is the musical depiction of a very bad, no good day, something that everyone has had at one time, where you get out of bed and stub your toe, and spill your coffee and your car doesn’t start and it starts to rain and on and on.
At the publisher’s request I did arrangements of the piece for (British) brass band and for concert band (wind ensemble).
Enjoy, and have a good day!