Four Sacred Russian Chorales: for Trombone Choir
Arranged by Jeff Reynolds
Trombone choir: trombone septet: seven trombones: 4 tenor, 2 bass, 1 contrabass (optional) trombone
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2021
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com
Score and parts.
Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 7 trombones
This is a new collection of sacred, Russian choral settings for five to seven trombones. The arranger includes Ave Maria from Vespers op.37 and a seperate setting of Psalm 25:1, “To you Lord, I lift up my soul,” both by Rachmaninoff, and Hosanna in the Highest and the ever-popular Salvation is Created by Pavel Chesnokov. The pieces are generally simple in their texture and harmonization, but profoundly moving and effective. Of particular interest are the works by Chesnokov, who was probably the most prominent composer of church music in Russia before revolution, and whose works are not widely available. The homogenous sound of the Russian choral tradition translates well to trombone ensemble and the ranges are reasonable. The arrangement of Salvation is Created has an optional contrabass trombone part and includes the opening original chant as an introduction. Because of their simplicity, all the pieces in the collection will require great attention to musical phrasing, balance, and intonation to be most effective. This music is a rich vein for further exploration and hopefully there will be more settings to follow. Range BB-flat-c2. Grade 4.
Review Published June 24, 2023