When writing pieces, I like to have the title or subtitle named right away as it gives me a better picture of how I want the piece to feel and be perceived; however, I was stumped on this subtitle for a long time, only knowing that I wanted the work to be the complete opposite of my first brass quintet, TAKE OFF. When I asked my friends what they thought the piece evoked, they argued it felt like the somber aftermath of a battlefield, not so much the war aspect, but the stillness and solemness of the mind that follows. That was the last piece of the puzzle to complete this composition. The title WITHIN THESE WALLS describes feeling these emotions, isolated in your own head.

From Thomas’s Program Note