The Victorian Trombone: Trombone Book

This collection captures something rarely explored in intermediate trombone repertoire: the specific character and idiom of 19th-century brass band writing. Wills has arranged these pieces with real understanding of what makes Victorian trombone music tick—the rhetoric, the harmonic language, the opportunities for expressive playing—rather than simply transcribing historical material. Your students get to inhabit a different musical world while building genuine artistry.

Ornate and unabashedly theatrical. These pieces wear their emotions openly—whether wistful homesickness, melodramatic pathos, or outright humor—and the trombone is perfectly cast to deliver each mood. There's a warmth and directness to Victorian sentiment that feels both deeply sincere and knowingly exaggerated.

Intermediate trombonists ready to move beyond étude material and tackle character-driven solos that demand both technical control and interpretive maturity. This book works equally well for ensemble players seeking substantial solo repertoire and for private studio instructors building recital programs with historical range.

• Shape phrases with the legato, singing quality Victorian composers expected from trombone soloists; resist the urge to punch every note.
• Pay attention to dynamics as character markers. Sentimental passages need genuine vulnerability; cheekier pieces benefit from rhythmic snap and swagger.
• Explore the full range of your slide positions cleanly. The arrangements exploit the trombone's register, and accuracy here directly affects musicality.
• Listen to period brass band recordings if available. The tuning, vibrato choices, and tonal ideals of the era inform how these pieces should sound.

Feature individual pieces as recital solos or as a themed concert set exploring 19th-century brass culture. A single selection pairs well with modern or classical-era trombone repertoire, while several pieces together create an entertaining program that educates audiences about the instrument's history. Consider pairing with historical context or artwork to deepen the period experience.

• Expressive use of vibrato and dynamics to shape phrase character
• Secure navigation across multiple slide positions in legato passage work
• Interpretive choices in tempo and phrasing appropriate to sentimental and comic styles
• Reading and executing idiomatic Victorian brass idiom and notation conventions
• Building tonal control across the full range of the instrument