This major work was commissioned by Bill Schofield, flugelhorn soloist with the New York Staff Band in 1963. Recently, Patrick Morris located the score and parts that I used to transcribe this into a more readable form using Dorico Pro.

Emil Soderstrom described this work as depicting the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Letters A – E represent the son’s asking for his inheritance, traveling to a far county, wasting it and ending up homeless and hungry. Letter F depicts the son’s despair and his realization that even life as one of his father’s servants would be better than his current predicament. Letter G begins with "Art Thou Weary, Art Thou Troubled" (Stephanos), showing his determination to beg his father’s forgiveness and ask for a job with the retinue of his father’s servants, as the music leads into “At Thy Feet I Fall,” in Letter H, ending with a triumphant glissando as his father not only forgives him but restores his place as his honored son saying, “my son who is lost, now is found.” Letter I follows with a jubilant presentation of “Blessedly Saved,” representing the son’s gratitude at having been returned to the fold.