I composed this piece for Russ and Kelly DeVuyst. Russ was then principal trumpet of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and now plays with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. I was heavily influenced by the music of George Crumb at the time. Coincidentally, I met Crumb for the first time while working on the piece, and it was because of Russ that I met him. This piece is similar to Nielsen's "Serenata-Invano" in that the stark fanfares and intense serenading are finally dismissed with a smug little ditty.