The Bluebells of Scotland
Dora Jordan / Arthur Pryor
The Bluebells of Scotland is a traditional 'folk song' written by a female composer, Dora (Dorothea) Jordan who was actually from Ireland. The song was published around 1801 and became very popular throughout the nineteenth century. Because it was catchy many musicians 'arranged' the tune for other instruments and ensembles to play, including the classical composer Joseph Haydn, who used it in a piano trio and Leroy Anderson who arranged it for orchestra. Arthur Pryor joined in its popularity later in the century, writing his virtuosic trombone version in about 1899. This version is technically challenging and allows the soloist to show off a flowing legato, (smooth playing) some difficult jumps, and some very fast playing.
The trombone, a member of the brass family, is a bit different to the others because instead of valves to change the notes, it has a slide. Trombones come in different sizes, from the very small to the very large, but the most common are the tenor trombone and the bass trombone. You find trombones playing a wide range of music - they are really versatile - from classical to jazz and marching bands to R&B!
Theme and Variations
A theme and variations is a structure/plan of music that makes use of a simple, often well-known tune (the theme). The 'arranger' (a composer using another composer’s musical ideas) then varies the tune each time it is played, often giving the performer slightly more difficult notes to play with each 'variation'. The Bluebells of Scotland opens with a cadenza-like introduction. After the theme, it moves to the Allegro (fast and lively) section, in which the variations begin.
- Variation one involves triplets.
- Variation two involves syncopated semiquaver and quaver rhythms. Then there's a cadenza that demonstrates the performer's range; (about three and a half octaves)
- The vivace finale brings all these techniques together. This piece is considered to be the domain of only the best trombonists.
Isobel Daws is a young and talented trombonist who is one of a series of virtuoso trombones to tackle this solo. Her latest performance in November 2021 will surely rank amongst other famous performers, including Christian Lindberg, Ian Bousfield and Joseph Alessi. Her performance can be found on WOB Play.
