Review

Brian Lynn
Must Try Harder or “Farewell Old Bass-Trombone”:

Coventry, , United Kingdom
Publisher: Warwick Music Publishers
Date of Publication: 2011
URL: http://www.warwickmusic.com

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - unaccompanied

Dedicated to bass trombonist Jonathan Warburton, Brian Lynn’s Must Try Harder is a brief unaccompanied work for bass trombone that would be an attractive project for an advanced college level student. The meaning of the title is not explained, but the four connected and stylistically different sections require nimble tonguing and facility through all registers - DD to b1 - and a solid command of the pedal range. While the publisher’s website refers to Must Try Harder as “the bass trombonist's Doolallynastics” - a reference to the composer’s tour-de-force for unaccompanied tenor trombone - this new piece has but a fraction of the difficulty of its tenor trombone cousin and requires neither multiphonics nor screaming. Owing to its brevity, Must Try Harder may find its niche as a recital encore or demonstration piece. Bonus: no mutes are required and the Warwick Music website – www.warwickmusic.com - displays the first page of the piece so you can try before you buy.

-Douglas Yeo
Arizona State University