The Elysian Trumpet

President Bush designates : The Elysian Trumpet as a "Cultural Treasure"

On Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008, Irvin Mayfield performed for President Bush at the North American Summit in New Orleans which was attended by Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. At the event, President Bush presented Irvin Mayfield with the a letter designating the Elysian Trumpet a "Cultural Treasure"

The full text of the letter can be found on the page "Presidential Decrees" on the website navigation bar.

Through music we experience the voice of God, and the promise of of eternal
         rest and peace.

The Elysian Trumpet, hand-built by David Monette, the modern master of trumpet design, is dedicated to the memory of Irvin Mayfield, Sr. and all of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

This stunning instrument has been created to honor the memory of all who perished due to Hurricane Katrina. Its design celebrates the rich musical and cultural heritage of New Orleans and the sounds of our Jazz legends. Jazz has been the heart of this city since the days of marching bands and Louis Armstrong. Today this indigenous music is more important than ever. The cultural strength of Jazz moves us from disaster to a new beginning celebrating our history and giving us the inspiration and blessing of the many that have gone before us. Monette, along with nationally known artist and goldsmith Tami Dean have been collaborating for nearly 25 years.

The Elysian Trumpet has a brushed 24k gold finish. Its braces are decorated with icons and symbols representing New Orleans' deceased heroes and many of our jazz legends and cultural icons. These icons are meticulously saw-pierced through the metal braces. (Saw-piercing is a highly-specialized technique for which Ms. Dean has become famous. ) The valve casing of the trumpet is prominently decorated with a striking fleur-de-lis. The instrument is adorned with jewels and semi-precious stones. A beautiful turquoise Mississippi River runs the length of the instrument and a brilliant faceted ruby marks the location of New Orleans. The hurricane motif is cut into the sheet bracing and along the bell of the instrument. The finger buttons are inlaid with Mardi Gras colored semi-precious stones. Lilies are cut into most every element of the instrument in keeping with the resurrection theme. The trumpet speaks with the powerful spirit of the New Orleans sound: its street fight bravura, bordello high spiritedness, and marching band regality. The application of unique new computer design and fabrication technology and his traditional craftsmanship make the Elysian Trumpet both esthetically and acoustically the most beautiful trumpet David Monette has ever created.

This visually stunning acoustic masterpiece serves as a monument to the deceased. The Elysian Trumpet is a breathing symbol of the future of the City of New Orleans. Through every valve and passage, the trumpet is a reminder of the continued presence of the souls that entered eternal life in the hurricane's aftermath.

The Elysian Trumpet, dedicated to the fallen, creates clear and noble notes that signal triumph and rebirth. Named for the mysterious Elysian Fields of Greek mythology, as well as the street in the Gentilly neighborhood in New Orleans where Irvin Mayfield Sr.'s body was found following hurricane Katrina, this singular instrument is both a unique work of art and a living memorial to all the saints who fell throughout the region.

The Elysian Trumpet Prayer

God of all goodness…
infuse my breath with the spirit of harmony, and love.

Let your voice speak through this instrument
and bring joy to the living, comfort to the afflicted,
and rest to the dead.

Bind up all of your children into your eternal oneness
which is the music of the universe, and the shining path
to unity and peace.

Christ Church Cathedral, September 23, 2007

Irvin with Dean and Bishops

The Elysian Trumpet is joyfully presented to the Cultural Ambassador of the City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana as a sign of remembrance and a beacon of resurrection of the great city of New Orleans and its people. Before the horn began production in 2006 ,the bell (the first part of the instrument to be built) was dedicated by local religious leaders at a service in Christ Church Cathedral commemorating the first anniversary of Katrina. Participants included Episcopal Dean David duPlantier and Bishop Charles Jenkins, Imam Rafeeq Nu'Man and Rabbi Ed Cohn. The completed horn received its formal consecration by the Most Reverend Katherine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church during a service at Christ Church Cathedral on September 23, 2007. A s a symbol of ecumenical and interfaith renewal, the horn will be blessed by spiritual leaders around the world during the course of its travels.

Irvin Mayfield, Sr., his son's first trumpet instructor, insisted that Irvin Jr.'s first public performance be in a church. In his father's honor and in recognition of the historic connection between New Orleans jazz and places of worship, the Elysian Trumpet Fund will support private lessons for unique individuals, performances in spiritual places, and of spiritual works.