Review

Felix Mendelssohn
Wedding March from the Midsummer Night’s Dream:

Arranged by Sonny Ausman


Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2008
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 6 trombones

Submitted with Richard Wagner: Wedding March from the opera Tannhauser.

These two arrangements are sold as a package from Gordon Cherry’s on-line publishing company. Just go to the website, find what is needed, pay by credit card and download the music you want. Each of the two selections is arranged for five or six trombones, Bass Trombone 6 being optional. Both first and second parts in the Mendelssohn visit c2 and hang up in that area enough to make these two parties aware of the need for good high chops and endurance. The good news is that the arrangement is but seventy-one measures in length, which is certainly enough to get the bridal party back down the aisle if that is the venue in which this selection is performed.  

The fifty-one measure arrangement of the Wagner is the easier of the two mainly because of a reasonable tessitura, which makes it accessible to competent high school players as well as jobbing trombonists. There are no surprises, but a strong bass trombonist on part 5 will help the sound of this arrangement!

-Mark Lammers
Gustavus Adolphus College