Review

James (Jamie) Wehr
A Very Barry Fantasy:
solo bass trombone and brass choir with percussion or brass band

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Publisher: Wehr's Music House
Date of Publication: 2012

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with brass

Composer and bass trombonist Jamie Wehr began playing piano at the age of ten and picked up the trombone upon entering junior high school. He later went on to attend the University of Central Florida, the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, and Indiana University. After leaving Indiana, Mr. Wehr moved to Warsaw, Poland to become a member of the Teatr Wielko Orchestra and later returned to the US to join the Air Force Band of Liberty as bass trombonist. In 1991, while still in the Air Force, Jamie founded Wehr’s Music House where he publishes many titles for various instruments, chamber ensembles, and even voices. Mr. Wehr continues to be an active and versatile musician, composing and arranging, teaching at Seminole Community College, and performing all over the state of Florida.  

A Very Barry Fantasy was commissioned by, and is dedicated to, the Bravo Brass, who are members of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, their conductor Paul Bryan, and bass trombone soloist Barry McCommon. Mr. Wehr created two arrangements of the piece, one for large brass ensemble: 2 trumpets, 2 cornets, 2 horns, 2 trombones, euphonium, tuba, percussion, and bass trombone soloist, and the other for Brass Band.  

The Fantasy opens with slow, legato solo passages over quiet tam-tam rolls followed by a moderately faster section that, while written exclusively in 3/4 meter, alternates between 6/8 and 3/4 every other measure. The solo bass trombone part grows more and more active with a developing rhythmic complexity and variety of articulations.  However, the challenging rhythms are not limited to the solo part. Throughout the middle section the ensemble encounters difficult tutti passages that need to be played uniformly between the different instrument groups to be effective. The opening tempo and thematic material returns as the movement closes once again with solo bass trombone over quiet tam-tam. The piece then segues into a “Ballad” movement written for Barry’s wife Trish and their children nicknamed Fweep, Chonch, Junior, and Bubby.

As a whole, A Very Barry Fantasy is a moderately challenging work for both the bass trombone soloist and the accompanying ensemble. While the solo part stays well within the range of the bass trombone, FF to g1, the challenging rhythms across the group generate a rewarding piece for everyone.

-Eric High 
St. Norbert College