Highlights from the revised Trinity Trombone repertoire list

BY: Guest Writer
24 January 2025

Complementing the new Brass 2024 syllabus, we have released revised repertoire lists for trumpet, French horn and trombone. Don’t worry – all of the pieces from the previous syllabus are still there and will continue to be so indefinitely*. But, in this blog, we are delighted to hear from the trombone specialist, Mick Davies, who worked with our syllabus team to source the new additions. Read on to find out more about the publications he has used to make his selections for the revised Trombone list...

*copyright and territory dependent

I was delighted to be approached by Trinity College London to ask if I would be interested in adding new repertoire to the existing trombone graded repertoire lists. I accepted their request without too much hesitation and embarked on a large amount of research. This was based, not only on my lifelong personal experiences as a professional trombonist in all genres, but on my many years of teaching this wonderful instrument, from complete beginners of all ages to the more advanced students looking at entering the music profession.

My choices of individual pieces varied greatly in terms of the style and era from which they originated, thus giving exam candidates a wider range of options. Without singling out any particular works, many of my decisions were based upon the favourites of my own pupils over the last 35-40 years. Some repertoire chosen from newer publications can be found in the following books:

The Jock McKenzie Tutor Book for Young Brass Players

Polished Brass by Lizzie Davis

Six Caribbean Folk Songs by Aiden Chamberlain

Featuring Melody by Peter Lawrence

Sonny Bluebone by David Mitcham

Plus, some older but ‘nice to play’ pieces for the higher grades, which includes one of my personal favourites - Adagio in F by Ludwig Spohr - and more study pieces from Derek Bourgeois’s great book Hear Today Bone Tomorrow.

I would also like to draw your attention to some very new compositions, which I am thrilled to include in the repertoire list update, by Jane Finch and Dave Whitson.

A very experienced and professional oboist, Jane previously had successfully composed a series of pieces in one book for oboe, entitled Fun in the First Register, aimed at pupils in the beginner stages of learning. Shortly after, she adapted this material for clarinet and then trumpet. With a little bit of guidance from myself, Jane has now adapted this book further for trombone (available in both bass and treble clef versions), which can be used in conjunction with either downloadable backing tracks and/or a piano accompaniment book, published separately. I have included some of the titles from this book in both the Initial and Grade 1 repertoire lists.

Dave, who will be known by many of you, has immense experience as a professional trombonist, performing in venues all around the globe. His love for the instrument, combined with decades of teaching, coaching and advising, not only at the very highest level at music colleges, but also at grass roots level, has been the concept for composing the pieces contained in his new book entitled Tales of the Trombone. Not only has he compiled this first publication, but Dave has many more ideas for future works in the pipeline as well, so do look out for those in the future. Meanwhile, I am pleased to be able to add five pieces from his first book at various grade levels. The book is available in both bass and treble clef versions, with a piano accompaniment book published separately. An individual unaccompanied piece for bass trombone, entitled Basso en Hors D’oeuvres, is another great piece I have added to the bass trombone repertoire list at Grade 6. This piece can be found as one of a series of six low trombone works, which Dave has also compiled.

I hope you will find the supplementary additions to the repertoire lists useful suggestions for future candidates and that your pupils will have fun and enjoy discovering some of the new pieces available.