Review

Traditional
Four Christmas Fantasies:

Arranged by Elizabeth Raum

2 tenors, 1 bass

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2024
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 3 trombones

Elizabeth Raum's Four Christmas Fantasies for trombone trio presents four beloved Christmas carols: Angels from the Realms of Glory, Good King Wenceslas, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and O Come Emmanuel. The collection spans several centuries of carol history in richly harmonized settings for two tenor trombones and bass trombone.

Each of the four movements features a pleasing mix of textures, though the writing is primarily homophonic. The exception is the final movement, O Come Emmanuel, which is set as a fugue. Throughout all four movements, melodies are passed among the three parts, and the harmonic language is notably rich with beautiful chromaticism. The first trombone part reaches no higher than a1, and the bass trombone descends to BB-flat. Written entirely in bass clef, these parts should be accessible to most college level or advanced high school level trombonists.

Four Christmas Fantasies would make an excellent addition to any holiday concert program, and its variety of settings and textures ensures that it will appeal to a wide range of audiences and performance occasions.