Review

Various
Wedding Album for Trombone and Keyboard:

Arranged by Ted Hunter and Lynne Latham


Greensboro, NC, United States
Publisher: Latham Music Enterprises
Date of Publication: 1993

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Trombonists are not often asked to perform as soloists for weddings, but when we are it would be nice to have a compilation of appropriate wedding tunes. With that in mind, Wedding Album for Trombone and Keyboard is a welcome source. It contains the following arrangements:

1.  “Wedding March” from A Midsummer Night's Dream by Felix Mendelssohn
2.  “Bist du bei mir” from Little Notebook for Anna Magdalena by J. S. Bach
3.  “If with all your hearts” from Elijah by Mendelssohn
4.  Trumpet Voluntary in D Major by Jeremiah Clarke
5.  “Laudate Dominum” from Vesperae solennes de confessore by W.A. Mozart
6.  “La Paix” and “La Rejouissance” from Fireworks Music by G.F. Handel
7.  “Air, Bouree, Hornpipe” and “Finale” from Water Music by Handel

Solo parts are accessible to the average, undergraduate trombonist. Range extends from F to a1, but endurance could be a factor, as it is unfortunate that the arrangers failed to provide measures of rest for the soloist. This could have been accomplished by placing the melody in the keyboard during the occasional B phrase and/or repeated section. These arrangements could obviously be performed on euphonium, and some of them are suitable for occasions other than weddings, such as recitals or church services. There is one problem with the printing quality. Music is printed on the inside of the front and back covers of the accompaniment folder, which is “plastic comb” bound, as opposed to spiral bound, meaning that after some use those pages could easily tear away, and then music might be lost. Regardless of minor shortcomings, Wedding Album is a worthy addition to any library.

-Casey Thomas
Iowa City, IA