The Christmas Gig Book, Volume 1: Trombone Part(s)

Marlatt's voicings sit beautifully for brass quintet, giving trombonists genuinely musical parts that anchor the ensemble without becoming burdensome. The collection spans ten recognizable carols with enough stylistic variety to hold an audience's attention while remaining solidly playable by intermediate players.

Warm and grounded. These arrangements treat familiar carols with respect, maintaining their lyrical character while giving each voice clear purpose. The trombone sits solidly in its register, supporting the ensemble's harmonic foundation with confidence.

Intermediate brass quintets looking for substantial Christmas repertoire that works equally well in a school setting or a community ensemble performance. This collection gives trombonists real musical responsibility while staying within a comfortable technical range.

• Balance the bass line with the horns' harmonic movement; trombones need to support without drowning out the melodic elements the trumpets and French horn carry.
• Pay attention to where you have the melody versus where you're filling the harmonic foundation. Marlatt's writing makes these transitions clear, so commit fully to your role in each phrase.
• These arrangements benefit from a steady tempo and clean articulation. The carols are familiar enough that audiences will notice rhythmic hesitation, so lock in with the other low voices.
• Mark your dynamic shifts in advance. Medium-level doesn't mean uniform; Marlatt shapes these pieces with clear contrasts between sections.

Program these as a complete holiday set to fill 25 minutes of performance time, or break them into smaller groups for multiple concert appearances throughout the season. The variety of moods and tempos means you can open with something bright and close with something reflective, giving audiences a complete musical experience.

• Balancing within a small ensemble without a conductor
• Sustaining even tone quality across dynamic changes
• Reading brass quintet voicing and understanding harmonic function
• Playing familiar melodies with stylistic sensitivity
• Maintaining rhythmic precision in medium-tempo pieces with lyrical phrasing