Sketches of Courage

About the Piece Photo of Frank X Hennessy II

Sketches of Courage, by our trumpeter and composer-in-residence Sean Schafer Hennessy, is a powerful original commission by Denver Brass which premiered in May 2025. Every generation carries stories from those who came before. For composer Sean Schafer Hennessy, those stories came in the form of a sketchbook created by his grandfather, Francis Xavier Hennessy II, a WWII forward observer who saw combat from Normandy to Mortain, and liberated Buchenwald. He witnessed trauma that few of us can imagine. But he didn’t speak of it. Instead, he sketched. Sean transforms those ink-lined memories into sound. Through Sketches of Courage, we feel the tension of life on the front lines, the fragility of humanity, and the weight of silence that many veterans carry. It is music born not just from history, but from grief, love, and a longing to understand someone we’ve lost. This multi-movement work evolved from a 5-minute concept to a full-fledged symphony for brass with narration and multimedia components. It’s a new, modern Lincoln Portrait, that touches on the impact and weight of war and the cost of freedom. This story is told through two kinds of images: the photographs taken in the moment by members of the 30th Infantry Division, and the sketches Frank made when the moments were too heavy to speak aloud.

The Recording Project Pen/Pencil sketch of soldiers crawling with plane overhead by F. Hennessy. Titled "Mistake"

There are moments in an ensemble’s life when everything converges—mission, artistry, history, and vision. For Denver Brass, recording Sketches of Courage is one of those moments.

This new album is more than a collection of pieces. It’s a statement of who we are: an American brass ensemble rooted in storytelling, shaped by 45 years of innovation, and committed to pushing our art form forward. At its core is Sketches of Courage by Sean Schafer Hennessy—a work that captures the human cost, sacrifice, and resilience woven into our shared history. This album is centered on a distinctly American voice—bold, expansive, and deeply human. It’s patriotism, yes—but not confined to marches or nostalgia. This is a broader, more nuanced expression of what it means to reflect on our past and imagine our future.

The repertoire reflects that vision:

Sketches of Courage – Sean Schafer Hennessy
Known but to God – Sean Schafer Hennessy
Overture for a New Day – Andrew Wolfe
Fanfare for the Common Man – Aaron Copland
Fanfare for the Brave – Andrew Wolfe
They Gave All – Andrew Wolfe

Together, these works form a narrative arc—honoring sacrifice, celebrating resilience, and pointing toward hope. We've hired 7-time Grammy-Award winning Recording Producer, Elaine Martone, to guide us on this project. The goal is to put this album and piece in front of the Recording Academy.

Photo of Elaine Martone receiving her 7th Grammy Award. She is wearing a silver sequined jumpsuit, and has short light hair.

The European Tour

In August 2027, the Denver Brass will embark on one of the most meaningful artistic journeys in our organization’s 45-year history: a European tour tracing the path of the legendary 30th Infantry “Old Hickory” Division through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany during World War II.

This approximately two-week tour will begin in Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy, France, and conclude in Berlin, Germany, with planned stops including Mortain, Brussels, Maastricht, and Weimar. Along the way, Denver Brass will present performances, commemorations, and cultural exchanges centered around our original production, Sketches of Courage.

The Costs

We're still in the early phases of planning the tour and finishing the album, but we have a pretty strong estimate as to the costs we are facing.

Album Recording Expenses: $58,500
This covers Denver Brass musicians, recording personnel, venue fees, and a rough estimate for mastering and release

Tour Expenses: $192,650
For approximately 2 weeks, 5-7 concerts across 4 countries we're looking at roughly the following:
Airfare: $42,250
Additional baggage and oversized instrument fees could add another: $5,000+
Lodging: $30,800
Meals & Incidental Expenses: $33,600
Concert Wages for Musicians: $15,000
Venue Expenses: $12,000
Grand Transportation: $22,000
Cargo/Equipment Transportation: $5,000
Production Expenses, including Audio Engineers: $7,000
Marketing Expenses, including Photographers & Videographers: $20,000

We are actively writing grants and seeking corporate support. Our board of directors has made a pledge of support to the project as well.

Why Support this Project?

This is more than recording and a tour, more than notes on a page or a performance. This is about remembering our shared history and the lessons we have learned from it. That the events of World War II are more than just stories living in our history textbooks, but are cold and horrifying facts tied to the worst reality endured by many. And yet, Sketches of Courage is more than a piece about WWII. The struggles that Frank X Hennessy went through when the war ended are not unique to him, or to those of the Greatest Generation. One patron came up to conductor Warren Deck after a performance and shared that as an Afghanistan veteran, "This is my story, too."

"My hope is that listeners not only hear the echoes of history, but also fee the weight of memory, sacrifice, and unspoken pain that so many service members carry--and that, in doing so, they gain a deeper appreciation for the courage it takes to serve, survive, and carry on," says composer Sean Schafer Hennessy.

"A record. A warning. A gift." That was what Sean found in his grandfather's sketchbook. It is what Denver Brass has found in this work. And it is something we must share with the world.

About The Denver Brass

The Denver Brass was founded in 1981 by Kathy and Chuck Brantigan, as an all-new, one-of-a-kind brass chamber ensemble which would be in the forefront of performance, entertainment, commissions and education. Today, The Denver Brass is an elite ensemble recognized throughout the U.S. and the world as one of the premier ensembles of its kind – setting itself apart through its sound, original repertoire, recordings and concert productions.

With 14 world-class musicians, The Denver Brass performs its own original compositions and arrangements and reaches 30,000+ persons annually through more than 140 concerts and outreach services. The ensemble has more than 32 recordings and is heard daily on radio stations throughout the world. We work diligently and methodically to increase outreach and exposure, not just to be heard or appreciated, but to provide inspiration, pleasure, and sustenance to as many people as possible.

The trademark sound of The Denver Brass features a dazzling array of more than 13 distinct brass instruments plus percussion, utilizing mutes, technique and sound expertise to produce a rainbow of sound phenomena - not a band, not an orchestra, an entirely new sound. Originally a classically-oriented ensemble, today we feature a musical palate as diverse as the culture of the western US to present a sound experience that makes an impression long past the final chord of the concert.

People from every background find inspiration in diverse programming – classical, jazz, Broadway, Latin, multi-cultural fusions, and new sound sensations created by brass with bagpipes, steel drums, hand-bells, fiddles, voices, and a variety of distinguished soloists. “Shows,” instead of “concerts,” are carefully designed to enhance the listening experience through strong concert themes and story lines, character hosts, guests from a wide variety of artistic genre, and theatrical lighting, staging, and multi-media techniques.

The Denver Brass is also unique in the world for its cohesive and enthusiastic team. Musicians are selected not only for exceptional technical and creative skills, but also for their integrity, dedication to community, and support of fellow musicians and mission. In addition to remarkable musicians, our team boasts a creative and resourceful staff, forward-thinking Board, large and dedicated volunteer core, and creative artists engaged in new music composition, story line, choreography, and state-of-the art lighting and staging. The Denver Brass received the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2008.

Journey of Courage: Normandy to Freedom

Grammy Dreams and European Tour