Review


Elizabeth Raum
Processional Fanfare:
Trombone quartet 3 tenors (1 in tenor clef), 1 bass

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2017 / 2020
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones

Originally commissioned as a work for large brass ensemble and percussion by the Regina Symphony to open their 1985 concert season, Elizabeth Raum has rewritten this version of her Processional Fanfare for trombone quartet. While it follows the overall form of the original version, it is also slightly abridged. The introduction section is gone from the trombone quartet version and several of the phrases have been shortened, most likely to accommodate the smaller ensemble format. However, the overall musical effect is much the same as the original. Raum’s Processional Fanfare is a short, triumphant, and celebratory work that totally lives up to its title.

The opening begins with a powerful homophonic statement in E-flat major. Alternating between repeated sixteenth fanfare motives and long, legato melodic lines, the entirety of this work builds and maintains a sense of dramatic grandeur. While the first part is written in tenor clef it never plays above c² and there are frequent opportunities to rest. The bass trombone part never plays below C and could easily be managed by a large bore tenor trombone with an F attachment.

Elizabeth Raum’s Processional Fanfare should be accessible to a variety of trombone ensembles and ability levels. The parts are well edited with an abundance of performance suggestions. At less than three minutes in length, Raum’s Fanfare will likely find its way into many ceremonies, concerts, and recital programs for years to come.

Reviewer: Greg Strohman
Review Published June 24, 2023