Trombone Choir History
The trombone choir ensemble has evolved from a rich musical blending of the religious and civic cultures of Europe and America over the past 400 years. The noble and majestic sound of the trombone lends itself very well to the performance of music for solemn and festive occasions and its chromatic nature makes it a natural to support vocal ensembles.
Emory Remington, Professor of Trombone at the Eastman School of Music (1922-1971) established the pedagogical nature of the trombone choir as an extension of the private music studio to develop ensemble skills in musical performance. He used original works and arrangements by his students for three to eight-part trombone ensembles to accomplish this goal. The expansion of this literature, other than arrangements, came from compositions specifically written for the Eastman Trombone Choir that included up to 19 separate parts for the trombone choir members.
The use of the trombone ensemble can be traced back to 16th century Italy in the works of Giovanni Gabrieli in Venice and to 18th century America in the use of the trombone choir in the Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The first notation of the use of trombones in mixed instrumental ensembles appears in the antiphonal works of Giovanni Gabrieli in his "Sonata pian' e forte" published in 1597. This was scored for two four part ensembles( SATB) with the cornetto (made of wood and played with a small cup-shaped mouthpiece) and the violino performing the soprano part in each choir. Because of the small bore of the trombones at this time and a smaller bell flare, a finely balanced ensemble with the use of the violino and cornetto was possible.
The fifteen part "Canzon Quarti Toni" for three antiphonal choirs, used the cornetto as the soprano voice in the scheme SATTB-ATTTB-SATTB. In other works of Gabrieli the trombones, because of their chromatic nature, were used to support the voices, again with the cornetto performing the soprano voice. The later publication of the Canzoni in 1615 included up to 17 separate trombone parts in the Canzon XX.
These compositions, performed at the St. Mark Cathedral in Venice filled the grand spatial atmosphere of the Cathedral with glorious shimmering sounds of antiphonal music performed by trombones, voices, and other instruments. Other composers in Italy that wrote in this style for the trombone ensemble included Tiburtio Massaino, maestro di cappella at Lodi from 1600-1608 (Canzona No. 33 for 8 trombones, published in 1615) and Biagio Marini, a violinist at St. Mark in 1615, (Canzona for 4 trombones, published in 1655).
One of Gabrieli's more famous students, Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672), took this tradition north and became one of the celebrated composers of 17th century Germany. His collection "Sacre Symphonie" displays the combination of trombones supporting the voices and his "Fili Mi Absalon "(1629) for four trombones and bass voice evokes a solemn lament of a father for the loss of his son. Giovanni Martino Cesare, carried the Italian instrumental canzona further in his "La Bavara" for four trombones and continuo published in "Musicali Melodie per voci et instrumenti a una, due, tre, quattro, cinque, e sei" in 1621 in Munich.
In Germany, during the latter half of the 17th century, we find the appearance of the "Stadtpfeifers" that would mark the time of day or announce festivals from the towers of the church or town by performing music (Turmusik).
Literature for trombone ensemble from this period includes the Sonatas by Daniel Speer(1636-1707) for three and four trombones respectively. Other four and five-part works by Speer and Johann Pezel(1639-1694) used the alto, tenor and bass trombones along with the soprano Zink (German)) or cornetto (It) performing the highest part.
During the 18th century the Posaunenchöre (Trombone Choir) performing in the Lutheran churches of Germany and Austria would not always include only trombones but other soprano and alto instruments that were available at the time. The term
Posaunenchöre in Austria and Germany today refers more to a brass or wind ensemble and not to a choir consisting only of trombones.
The Moravians brought the Trombone Choir to America in 1754 by it's inclusion at Bethlehem of a soprano, alto, tenor and bass trombone to support the musical activities of the Moravian Church . This happened to be one of the oldest instrumental musical organizations in early American history.
The instruments still being used today in the Moravian Trombone Choir include the soprano, alto, tenor and bass trombones. In the "Chorales of the Moravian Trombone Choir," arranged by Raymond C. Austin, Jr. in 1967 and published by the Moravian Congregation of Bethlehem , Pa., we find the Trombone Choir intertwined in the religious life of the Moravians in Bethlehem and used to announce various church festivals and activities.
"They performed from the steeple of the church and then moved to the gallery, inside, to perform a chorale, the last chord of which was picked up by the organist to begin the service."
Ned Meredith, retired trombonist of the San Francisco Symphony, recalls this Moravian influence in the Altoona (Pennsylvania) High School Trombone Choir where he performed with 19 other trombonists from 1939 to 1941.
In 1812 Beethoven composed "Drei Equali," three pieces for four trombones that included 2 altos, tenor and bass trombone. They were composed for a solemn occasion and were performed at his own funeral procession with the addition of male voices to a Latin text alternating with the trombone ensemble as they progressed to the cemetery.
At the Eastman School of Music the "Chief," as Emory Remington was affectionately called by his students("Memories of Emory Remington " by Donald R. Hunsberger, March 1992, The Instrumentalist), used the trombone ensemble in his teaching irom the 1920's to the 1970's as a means of developing an acute sense of excellence in ensemble performance in regards to uniformity of style, blend, balance, rhythmn and intonation.
As the numbers of the trombone class at the Eastman School began to grow in the late 30's, the smaller trombone ensemble of the earlier years was expanded to include multiple voices on the same part. It was now even more critical for 4-8 trombonists on the same part to develop the same concept of attack, release, pitch, rhythmical accuracy, balance, blend and sonority that was required of the smaller trio or quartet.
The first official appearance in Rochester of the Eastman Trombone Choir was November 11, 1941, in the Eastman Theater and was reviewed by A. J. Warner in the Rochester Times-Union and by Norman Narin in the Democrat and Chronicle.
"After intermission...came an impressive 'novelty' in the form of Beethoven's magnificent Three Equali, originally written for four trombones and played last night by 16." (A.J. Warner, Times-Union, November, 1941).
"Last nights' program (Eastman School of Music Senior Symphony) had two unusual items, the first, Beethoven's 'Three Equali for trombones', written for four trombones, the parts quadrupled as played by 16 trombones from the class of E>
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ike short pieces, were heard for the first time in Rochester and indeed they are heard infrequently in this country, although done often in Europe. With the sonority of the 16 brasses they were impressive. (Democrat and Chronicle, November, 1941).
The members of this first trombone choir included among others, one of my teachers, Lewis Van Haney (New York Philharmonic & Indiana University), Rayburn Wright (Staff arranger for Radio City Music Hall and Professor of Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media at the Eastman School), Dorthy Zeigler (St. Louis Symphony), Robert Marstellar (Los Angeles Symphony), and Bernie Pressler (Professor at Ball State University).
The first original small trombone ensemble composition premiered at Eastman was the "Piece for Six Trombones" by Burrill Phillips on May 23, 1941, and included some of the personnel that would perform with the large trombone choir the following November in Eastman Theatre.
The first original large trombone ensemble composition was premiered in Kilbourn Hall on April 5, 1949, and was entitled "Metamorphoses on a Chorale Theme" for 21 trombones, four horns, two tubas, four percussion and was conducted by the composer Carl Furstener.
A typical program in the 1950's included original works and arrangements of Gabrieli, Mendleshonn, Saint Säens, Haydn, Bach and Handel, augmented at times by the organ as performed by Mrs. Laura Remington.
A long standing tradition in Rochester was the appearance of the Eastman Trombone Choir at the Rochester Bach Festival. Remington set it up as the Moravians had done earlier, .....the final chord of the trombone choir set up the key and mood for the first piece on the program that was to follow.
Another long standing tradition has been the inclusion of the Eastman Trombone Choir at important events at the Eastman School such as the Annual Christmas Sing and the graduation ceremonies.
Some of the classic arrangements completed in the 50"s were the "Passacaglia and Fugue" by J. S. Bach arranged by Donald Hunsberger for eight trombones and the 14 part "Stardust for the Chief" arranged by Rayburn Wright. "Stardust" included popular tunes of famous jazz trombone stylists of the day, some of the famous Remington "warm up" routines and orchestral excerpts. It was performed at his "surprise" birthday tribute in 1955 by his former trombone students assembled for the occasion.
During the decade of the 60's other additions to the literature for trombone choir came from such composers as Alec Wilder (Suite For 19 Trombones), Manny Album (Geological Survey), Sam Adler (Five Vignettes)for 12 Trombones), Ray Wright (Interfaces I for Trombone Choir and Percussion), and Walter Hartley (Canzona).
The culmination and signature of the Remington concept of the trombone choir sonority was captured on a recording in 1972 conducted by Donald Hunsberger and Rayburn Wright for Mark Records(MES50500) shortly after the death of the "Chief."
In the 70's, Donald Knaub, Professor of Trombone at the Eastman School (1972-1978) expanded the concert activities of the Eastman Trombone Choir and added a smaller group devoted to new music and the jazz idiom called "Trombones Impossible." An important contribution to the literature at this time was "Events" for 12 part trombone choir by Verne Reynolds, commissioned by the Eastman School and the Conn Corporation.
Since 1978 when John Marcellus was appointed Professor of Trombone there have been more than 24 members in the Choir, which now includes two separate jazz trombone ensemble units.
The "Bionic Bones" consists of 10 trombones and rhythm section that perform original works and arrangements written and composed by the students. The "Eastman-Winding Trombone Septet" uses the Kai Winding Septet library given to the Eastman School by Eleanor Winding in 1984.
The concert activities of the choir include performances for the International Trombone Workshop, Eastern Trombone Workshop, New York Brass Conference, Frühling Posaunen events at Ithaca College and Penn State, New York State Music Educator's Conference, MENC in Chicago, Montreal Low Brass Workshop, Western Mass. Trombone Association, College of St. Rose Low Brass Workshop besides other concerts at the Eastman School and in local churches, schools and civic functions.
The Eastman Trombone Choir recorded "Music for Christmas," on Stoldat, SZM0120 in 1980 and has also appeared on national public radio in the "Brass Christmas, 1986" produced by Barbara Walters of WXXI-FM in Rochester.
The educational value of the large trombone choir has been imitated by colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad and a prime example of this influence includes the performance of the Eastman Trombone Choir conducted by Emory Remington at the Music Educator's National Conference in Washington, D. C. in 1968.
This was the impetus I needed to organize a trombone choir in 1968 at the Catholic University of America. The CU Trombone Choir of 17 members performed for the first International Trombone Workshop in Nashville, Tennessee in 1972.
In the jazz trombone choir area we find recordings by the Benny Morten Trombone Choir, which included Benny, Claude Jones, Vic Dickensen and Bill Harris augmented by a rhythmn section in the 1940's. There were many LP albums recorded from 1956 to 1963 by the famous Kai Winding Septet, whose original members included Kai, Carl Fontana, Wayne Andre and Dick Lieb. (There will be a tribute to the Kai Winding Septet at the next International Trombone Workshop, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, May 30-June 3, 1995.)
The LP albums of Jai and Kai + Six , East Meets West, Tutti's Trombones, Trombones, Inc., All My Friends are Trombone Players (Tommy Peterson) and Urbie Green with 21 Trombones fill out a unique period of popular music using the trombone choir ensemble in the jazz idiom during the 1960's.
With the creation of the International Trombone Association in 1972 and the ensuing International Trombone Workshops that followed , plus the beginnings of the regional Eastern Trombone Workshop in 1974 organized by John Melick and myself at Towson State University, there are further contributions to the literature for trombone choir.
William F. Cramer, my teacher from Florida State University, was instigator of a number of compositions through the ITA Commissions Committee and by himself for large trombone ensemble that included composers from America and Europe. These included Carl Vollrath, Frigyes Hidas, John Boda, Frederick Goosens, Paul Basler and one for 80 Trombones by Henry Brandt, premiered by Billy Robinson and the Bay Bones.
Some of these pieces were premiered by the "Dirty Dozen," a group of college trombone professors performing at the ITW under Cramer's leadership. Dr. Cramer began to establish a standard instrumentation of 12 trombone parts divided into three quartets for most of these compositions even though the "Jazz Condiments"(1976) by Carl Vollrath was scored for twenty trombones divided into five separate quartets.
The ITA Composition Contest instituted in 1973 began to add original pieces by such composers as Thom Ritter George, Al Chase, G.W. Knapp, Mark Anderson, Joseph Ott, Malcomb Forsyth, and Henry Wolking. This contest is continuing as well as the recently created Allen E. Ostrander Trombone Composition Prize initiated by Hal Reyolds, Director of the Ithaca College Trombone Troupe and the Lyceum Press.
Works instigated by the Eastern Trombone Workshop since 1974 include compositions by Randall Faust, Ron Frangipane, Truman Harris, Carl Nosse, Roy Johnson, Walter Ross, and Charles Campbell. David Fetter made it possible for Ross Lee Finney to complete his "Tubes I" for five trombones that was premiered at the 1975 ETW.
Compositions composed specifically for the Eastman Trombone Choir since 1978 include pieces by B.B. McCulloh, Marek Harris, Carl Vollrath, Robert Morris, John Vaughn, Alex Freeman, John Stevens, and Burt Fenner.
Today there are arrangements and original compositions published by many companies throughout the world and I would like to mention a few that specialize in music for trombone choir and the jazz trombone ensemble. These are the Ensemble Publications(the first to specialize in trombone ensemble music in 1960 and will be revived soon) by Hickey Music, Kagarice Brass Editions, Williams Publishing Co. and Tap Music Sales.
Indeed, there is a tremendous history and heritage of the trombone choir over the past 400 years with major contributions from Emory Remington and the International Trombone Association during this century. We look forward to the unique and majestic sounds of the trombone choir and the continuing growth of this wonderful tradition as we are approaching the 21st century.
— John Marcellus