Review

Chris M. Sharpe
Apogee Fanfare:
Eight trombones

, United States
Publisher: C. Sharpe Editions
Date of Publication: 2017
URL: http://www.csharpeeditions.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 8 trombones

Composers draw inspiration from many sources: story, literature, nature, emotions, or sometimes architecture. This last source drove Chris M. Sharpe’s 2017 composition Apogee Fanfare, written for trombone octet, 6 tenor trombones, 2 bass trombones. Apogee Stadium in Denton, TX is the home of the University of North Texas (UNT) football program. A UNT graduate, Sharpe used this imposing facility, with a section of bleachers inspired by the UNT Eagle mascot, as his inspiration for this fanfare.

Composed for the UNT Trombone Consortium’s clinic at the Texas Music Educators’ Association Clinic/Convention in 2017, this short piece falls neatly into three short but exciting and interesting sections. The outer two sections are rhythmic and marcato, framing a legato, contrasting middle. Sharpe seems to have succeeded in writing a piece that is playable by many different levels of ensemble. The highest note in the first part is b-flat¹, reached only once and at the piece’s conclusion. The lowest bass trombone part stretches the range further, down to EE-flat, though the lowest passage is given an optional 8va marking. With a relatively approachable range in all parts, this piece should find a home in the repertoire of many ensembles, from advanced high school groups to college programs of all sizes. The rhythms are all straightforward and the fastest notes, 16th notes at mm=156, are either repeated pitches or are simple scalar passages of five notes or fewer. Sharpe’s rhythmic approach and technical demands in this piece are not going to be barriers for most groups.

Sharpe’s Apogee Fanfare will work nicely to open a program. While playable it contains enough harmonic and rhythmic interest to keep players and audience members engaged.