Review

Traditional
Canadian Folksong Suite:

Arranged by Kevin Thompson


Vancouver, BC, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2013
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones

Kevin Thompson’s arrangement of the Canadian Folksong Suite for trombone quartet showcases a combination of technical mixed meter passages and soaring lyrical folk songs. The melody is shared across all parts of the trombone quartet, leaving no member out of the fun. A Gabrieli-like motive opens the first movement, Bien Travailler-Alouette. The motive is shared between the first and second parts, offset by one beat, creating a rhythmic motor with a 16th note drive. This 16th note motive propels the entire movement forward, continuously grooving through measures of 7/8 and 9/16 meters. The second movement, She’s Like The Swallow, showcases the lyrical and colorful sounds of the trombone. The simple melody is made up of quarter and half notes while the more active rhythm is present in the accompaniment supporting the lyrical melody with various colors and a strong rhythmic drive. The third and final movement, Kelligrew’s Soirée is a brisk fantasy and fugue based on a popular folk song by John Burke. This fun and exciting suite is a great addition for a quartet’s library. The first movement in particular is a great way to introduce mixed meter passages to a student trombone quartet. The three tenor trombone parts are written in tenor-clef and the bass trombone is in bass-clef.

-Nathaniel Lee
University of Virginia