Review

John Frith
Three Duets:
tenor and bass trombone

Coventry, , United Kingdom
Publisher: Warwick Music Publishers
Date of Publication: 2007
URL: http://www.warwickmusic.com

score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 2 trombones

John Frith (b.1947) hails from Hampshire in the United Kingdom. His professional training began at Dartington College of Arts and continued at the Guildhall School of Music, where studying horn and composition, he won both the Brass and School Composition Prizes. Combining a career as a professional horn player, teacher and composer, he has written extensively for wind, brass strings and voices. His published compositions are numerous and the BBC has broadcast a number of his large-scale works. His works for trombone include Behind the Mask for bass trombone and piano, Four's Company (Three Dances for Four Trombones), Intermezzo for Tenor Trombone and Wind Ensemble and Ode to a Happy Bunny for solo bass trombone. Written for Jonathon Warburton and Philippa Done, Three Duets comprises contrasting movements, High-Hopes, Doubts and Fears and Feeling Good. The music is conservative melodically, tonally and rhythmically without being hackneyed. In the composer’s own words, “I like to think that my music is accessible and hopefully memorable.” Indeed the Three Duets are both enjoyable to hear and perform. For the trombonists this work presents no formidable challenges in terms of range, endurance, flexibility or technique, making it playable by good college level performers.

-Karl Hinterbichler
University of New Mexico