Review

Matthew Neff
Celebration:
Three tenor, one bass trombone

Ithaca, NY, United States
Publisher: Ensemble Publications
Date of Publication: 2005
URL: http://www.enspub.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones

Matt Neff, former Master Chief of the United States Navy who performed with the Navy Band and Commodores jazz ensembles, will be taking over as the bass trombonist of the North Carolina Symphony. While serving in the Navy, Neff contributed to the trombone repertoire, most recently with a book of studies for the bass trombone. Celebration was published back in 2005 through Ensemble Publications.

Celebration has a pseudo-Latin feel to it, highlighting the 2-3 grouping of the rumba clave rhythm in the opening measures. While this rhythm strongly emphasizes a Latin feel, at no point does Neff clearly define the quartet’s style; Latin, Fanfare, or Maestoso represent three different, yet inferable descriptors. To further complicate the issue, articulations are inconsistent and even missing throughout. Other editorial markings, such as dynamic contrast, are decidedly absent.

From top to bottom, each part sits in a clearly defined register based on its arrangement in the score: trombone 1 g–c2, trombone 2 d–g1, trombone 3 B-flat–g1, and bass trombone BB-flat–g. While this does make the top part more physically demanding than the other parts (approximately 84% of the part is played in the sixth through ninth partials), it does create clearly defined roles for each part. Observing the accompaniment role, the bottom two voices are particularly challenging with rhythmic figures that are often more complex than their counterparts. Measures 25 and 26 reveal this, with entrances between each pair being offset by a single sixteenth note.

Although it contains many editorial errors, virtually no dynamic contrast, and lacks any stylistic guidance, this is an undeniably fun work. Each voice shines in its own way, from the melodies of trombone one to the often high-octane lines of the bass trombone. Neff has truly created a work ripe with programmable opportunity. With its bouncy melody and rhythmic accompaniment, simple harmonic progression, and strong connection to the pentatonic scale, Celebration is a simple and aptly named work that will add life to any recital.