Review

Gustav Holst
March from "Second Suite in F":

Arranged by Andrew Poirier

One alto, three tenor, one bass trombone

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2019
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 5 trombones

Second Suite in F is a four-movement piece written for concert band in 1911 by Gustav Holst. It is his second and final suite and enjoys frequent performances as a staple of the band repertoire.

This arrangement for trombone quintet, with optional euphonium, excellently condenses all  the rich harmonies and voicing from the original into the five voices of the trombone quintet. The melody is often passed between voices, so that all tenor and alto players spend equal time performing the melody. Little is changed from the original composition; the keys, length, and musical content are identical. Delicate solo sections highlight the soloist appropriately, and tutti sections bring robust vivacity to the fore.

The arrangement is scored for alto trombone in alto and treble clefs, three tenor trombones in tenor clef, and bass trombone in bass clef. The third trombone player may play euphonium for the famous euphonium solo that takes place in the A section. The alto part is demanding and requires complete fluency on the instrument. Its range extends upwards to a-flat². The tenor parts live in a comfortable tenor register of B-flat to b-flat¹ and the bass part descends to FF. The tenor and bass parts are accessible to undergraduate students. However, the demands of the alto part require the proficiency of a graduate-level or professional trombonist. A wonderful recording can be found on iTromboni’s 2018 album T’Anguish.