Review

Malcolm Forsyth
Arcadian Panoply:
solo trombone and four trombones

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Publisher: Counterpoint Music Library Services Inc.
Date of Publication: 2007

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with brass
Secondary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 5 trombones

A panoply is a wide-ranging and impressive display. This brief work for solo trombone and trombone choir, three tenors and bass, incorporates several genres in its highly structured but nuanced format. The result is a pleasing work, alternately graceful and powerful.
 
An opening chorale which is lightly textured, non-cadential and tonally ambiguous, gives way to a rhythmically intense section that skillfully utilizes the voices in a variety of densities. This section cleverly evolves into a series of ragtime fragments which precede a brief cadenza. The work concludes in a re-setting of the opening material, this time in a more poignant and evocative presentation. The piece ranges from D in the bass trombone to c2 in the solo part, and tenor clef is used in the solo and first and second trombone parts. Arcadian Panoply could work well with multiple players on a part, although Forsyth at times specifies some sections as being for only one player. This is an eclectic, dynamic piece that should prove rewarding for performers and audience alike.

-Joel Elias
Sacramento State University