An
offstage brass and percussion part is a sound effect used in
classical music, which is created by having one or more
trumpet players (also called an
offstage trumpet call),
horn players, or
percussionists from a symphony orchestra or opera orchestra play a note, melody, or rhythm from behind the stage. This creates a distant, muted effect which composers use to suggest "celestial voices", melancholy, or nostalgia, or to create a haunting effect.