Music: The Acrobats

The Acrobats
Trombone Trio
Composed by J. A. Greenwood
Arranged by L. D. Baker
Published by Wright and Round

The trombone solo, The Acrobat, has undergone a revival of late in the Acrobat Challenge that swept across Facebook in support of the Save Stephen campaign, supporting trombonist Stephen Sykes in his battle with Hodgkins Lymphoma.

This new, light-hearted arrangement takes the form of a trio offering the entire trombone section a chance to show off. Following a statement of the original tune, the piece explores a variety of humorous musical twists and turns, including a cheeky waltz and a cheerful swing section. A brief minor interlude (and a little acting) occurs from the first trombone before being cheered up by his/her colleagues, leading the way through a section cadenza to a rambunctious finale.

The piece should pose few problems to those able to tackle the original solo, despite the first trombone part spending some time above the stave (up to a high D).

In all, this highly entertaining arrangement breathes new life into the classic solo, which is sure to be popular with audiences for years to come.       
 
THOMAS DUNNE