Review

David Wilborn
Elysian Fields:
Trombone Quartet: four trombones: 3 tenor, 1 bass trombone

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2021
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones

Originally composed for the Elysian Trombone Consort, David Wilborn’s, Elysian Fields, is a reference to Elysium, the final resting place for the Greek Gods according to Homer in Odyssey. According to Wilborn, this music “portrays the radiant sunshine and spirit of joy” of living in Elysium.

Though written without a key signature, Elysian Fields is predominantly in F major. The compositional style is primarily motivic and interspersed with homophonic and contrapuntal textures. Wilborn creates a constant sense of rhythmic drive with a steady stream of staccato eighth notes throughout most of the beginning and end, while the middle chorale section relies more on syncopation to maintain its forward momentum. The harmonic language is mostly triadic with suspended chords mixed in for good measure.

Individually the parts are not too difficult for most college level trombonists. The first trombone part spans a range up to b-flat¹. The bass trombone part is written down to AA and can probably be played on a tenor trombone with an F attachment. All of the parts are given in bass clef, and the rhythms are mostly derived from eighth note subdivisions. Due to the abundance of solo lines throughout each of the parts, Elysian Fields will probably not work well for a larger ensemble.

Wilborn’s composition manages to strike that perfect balance between being rewarding to play, not too demanding to learn or rehearse, and accessible to a wide variety of audiences. Elysian Fields will most certainly find its way onto many trombone quartet recitals for many years to come.