Review

Elizabeth Raum
Fantasy for Trombone and Chamber Orchestra:

Arranged by Jackson Howard

flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, violins I and II, viola, cello, bass, timpani

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

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with orchestra

Organized into five sections, the style of this piece is lyrical and romantic, with a warmly expressive and well-developed melodic line. This arrangement is scored for solo trombone and an ensemble comprising 2 flutes, 2 oboes, bassoon, 3 clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet, 2 alto saxes, tenor sax, baritone sax, 3 trumpets in B-flat, 4 horns in F, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, timpani (F/B, G, C-sharp/G-sharp, A, C-sharp/G-sharp, F-sharp/B, D-sharp/C-sharp), and percussion (3 players): bass drum, snare drum, xylophone, glockenspiel, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal and triangle. This indicates a minimum of 29 players, but the flute, oboe, and alto sax parts have sections marked solo and tutti.

Tenor trombone parts are in bass clef: 1st tops out at a-flat1 bass goes down to C-sharp. The solo trombone part is given in bass and tenor clefs range E-flat - c-sharp2, obviously calling for an instrument with an F-extension. Straight mutes are called for in all three ensemble trombone parts and in the three trumpet parts. 

Elizabeth Raum was born in New Hampshire in 1945 and is now a Canadian citizen. She is an oboist and a prolific composer and is married to trombonist Richard Raum. Their daughter Erika is a well-known violinist. Michael Nunes is a Canadian horn player and is currently a composition student at the University of Toronto.

-Keith Davies Jones