Review

Various
Jingle Bones:

Arranged by Dr. Wade Goodwin

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

Jingle Bones: A Collection of Christmas Carols for Trombone Trio is an arrangement of five classic tunes by Wade Goodwin featuring Carol of the Bells, Silent Night, Good King Wenceslas, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Auld Lang Syne. This arrangement stands out amongst a plethora of holiday trombone arrangements thanks to Goodwin’s cheeky bass trombone parts and intricate interplay between all three parts. A highlight occurs in Auld Lang Syne where the bass trombone plays the melody while the first and second trombones hum along. This technique evokes the nostalgic aspect of this song and transports the listener to a New Year’s Eve party; singing with friends and family. 

The trio is for two tenors and one bass and comes in bass clef with the exception of trombone one who flits between bass and tenor clef. The range of the aforementioned part goes up to c2, though it should be mentioned that sometimes Goodwin writes b-flat1 in bass clef and other times in tenor clef which could be frustrating to a player from a continuity and ledger line standpoint. The bass part’s range goes down to BB-flat. 

This arrangement is faithful to the traditional source material and would be perfect for young musicians to play at a Christmas caroling event or concert.