Review

Various
16th Century Christmas Carol Medley:

Arranged by Jim Hopson

Trombone Quartet: 4 trombones: 3 tenor, 1 bass trombone

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

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones

Jim Hopson’s arrangement 16th Century Christmas Carol Medley, a new addition to the trombone quartet repertoire published by Cherry Classics, is a reimagined setting for some of the most well-known carols in today’s holiday tradition. The arrangement consists of settings of “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella;” “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming;” and “Coventry Carol,” each presented with unique characters that work together to create a cohesive holiday medley. It is important to note that both the first and second trombone read exclusively in tenor clef, limiting this arrangement to a more advanced quartet of players. The first trombone part also plays consistently in the higher register of the instrument, sitting between c¹ and a¹ for a large majority of the work and extending upward to as high as c² for the final note of the piece. 

The arrangement of “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella” features a melodic line running between first and second trombones in alternative statements. The melodic idea is relatively short, but the use of chromatic tones and a lengthy chromatic descent in the third trombone gives a fresh feel to this carol. “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” is presented in a standard choral setting that maintains a traditional SATB writing style. There are no obvious deviations from the traditional setting of this carol, which places the focus on the instrumentalists. Finally, “Coventry Carol” is a refreshingly new and invigorated take on this classic song. While the traditional carol is presented in slow 3/4 meter, this arrangement presents a much faster tempo of dotted half note equal to 66 - roughly three times as fast as the traditional. Syncopations, accented rhythms, and long scalar runs transform this traditional carol into an exciting ending to a holiday arrangement. 

Jim Hopson has created a lovely medley of classic Christmas carols that will spruce up any quartet's holiday selections. This medley is perfectly suited for quartets at the collegiate level or higher; younger groups should be wary of the range. The piece is not long - roughly four minutes in length - perhaps a great concert opener at your next holiday performance.