NTC | Quotes

Vern Kagarice Professor University of North Texas	The New Trombone Collective has raised the standard of trombone ensemble playing to new heights with its creative programming and artistic excellence. Students and teachers alike can learn from the ensemble's excellent musicianship, ensemble skills and basic trombone playing. Its CD belongs on every trombonist's shelf, and should be studied in great detail. This ensemble provides ample justification for stating that some of the finest trombone playing in the world is happening in The Netherlands.
Derek Bourgeois composer	Thank you so much for sending me your new CD with my Scherzo Funebre on it. I haven't had time to play the whole CD yet, but what I have heard so far has been excellent. The performance of my piece is easily the best I have ever heard. The ensemble, attack and sheer dynamic force is magnificent, and the musicianship and attention to detail is superb. I'm glad the piece has been received well. I'm astonished to realise that I wrote it over 19 years ago. It seems like yesterday. I might well be interested in writing something new for your group With best wishes
Enrique Crespo German Brass trombonist / composer	Liebe Mitglieder von New Trombone Collective, ich kann euch zu eurer neuen Aufnahme nun herzlichst gratulieren! Auch möchte ich mich bedanken für die Freude, die mir so ein perfekt und gefüllvoll spielendes Ensemble bereitet hat. In den vielen jahren seit der Herausgabe von "Bruckner Etüde für das tiefe Blech", habe ich sehr häufig das Stück in den verschiedensten Länder gehört. Noch nie hat mich das Stück so berührt, wie bei der vorliegenden Einspielung. Ich kann mir eure Interpretation meines Stückes nicht besser vorstellen. Das Tempo entspricht genau meiner Vorstellung, der Sound der Instrumente ist edel, kraftvoll wie es sich zu einem symphonischen Fortissimo gehört aber immer rund und weich. Die Phrasierung entwickelt sich breit und intensiv unter langen Bögen, die Atmung ist gnadenlos ausgeschöpft. New Trombone Collective spielt diese, im Stile Bruckners komponierte Musik mit dem natürlich empfundenen Gefühlssinn der mitteleuropäischen Romantik, fromm und tiefgründig, wie es sich zu der Musik des großen Meister gehört, aber mit der perfekten instrumental Techniek, die sich die neue Generation der europäischen Blechbläser in dem 2. Hälfte des 20. Jahrhundert eingeeignet haben. Ich hoffe auf eine Gelegenheit, New Trombone Collective live zu erleben und wünsche Euch weiterhin viel Erfolg.
Jiggs Whigham	You really inspired me, fantastic!
Bart van Lier Jazz trombonist Rotterdam Conservatory Metropole orchestra	I am very proud to be in contact with the New Trombone Collective. They are my friends for a long time. What they did at the ITA festival in Finland was unbelievable. A fantastic program, great sound , taste en of course beautiful trombone playing.
Ben van Dijk bass trombonist Rotterdam Philharmonic Rotterdam Conservatory Royal Northern College of Music Manchester, UK.	This wonderful ensemble played the last 2 weeks some extraordinary concerts in Lieksa and Helsinki. I attended their ITF concert in Helsinki 4 days ago and as teacher of 3 members, direct orchestra colleague of 3 others and friend of the others I was so proud. Proud to hear this Rotterdam Conservatory created Bone-ensemble where the friendship of all involved, George Wiegel, Jörgen van Reijen, Pierre Volders and myself as teachers of the school but especially the inner friendship among the students can create such a treat to the trombone world and have such a success at the festival! I have their new CD already in my collection and can tell you it is great. A wonderful balanced program, which is live even more impressive, played on the highest instrumental and musical level. This is what trombone playing is about! I can simply say one thing; BUY IT!
Jos Jansen basstrombonist Royal Marine Band NL	Ik wil jullie feliciteren met deze fantastische CD die jullie hebben gemaakt. Uniek dat in Nederland zoiets kan. Ik vind het een zeer hoogwaardig product waarin je hoort dat jullie een hechte groep zijn in alle opzichten.
Edward Solomon British Trombone Society	I have just obtained "Collective" from Warwick Music and listening to it, I can honestly state that it includes some of the finest trombone playing I have ever heard. The quality of sound produced consistently demonstrates the very high level of musicianship that the group has obviously worked extremely hard to achieve. In particular, as I run a trombone octet myself, which plays two of the works recorded on this disc, I was especially interested to hear the Derek Bourgeois Scherzo Funèbre and the Enrique Crespo Bruckner Etüde für das tiefe Blech. I was not disappointed. The Bourgeois receives a very powerful performance, which clearly illustrates what can be realised with original works for trombone octet. The Crespo (a sextet for four tenors, one bass and one contrabass), however, is not merely well played and recorded but shows a unanimity of approach in phrasing and dynamics that is quite moving. I am repeatedly left reeling after listening to that one track, which demonstrates that Crespo himself has a deep understanding of Bruckner's own architectural style of composition and that the New Trombone Collective has fully grasped this and realised it in the most stunning performance I've ever heard. I strongly recommend obtaining your own copy of this disc. There is much else to discover besides the Crespo and the Bourgeois and the bass trombone playing from Mark Boonstra and bass/contrabass trombone playing of Brandt Attema are alone well worth the outlay.
Dudley Bright London Symphony Orchestra	Any hopes I had of combining the front door painting with listening to this CD were dashed when my radio headphones failed to picked up the softest dynamics and I realised that much of this music deserved my undivided attention. In particular a commission from Ruud van Eeten, Inner Space - Trance of Thought, is a fascinating examination of the birth of an idea, its dissemination and eventual acceptance as truth. Its opening chattering, rhythmic, chordal background underpins long lyrical lines displaying impressively tight ensemble and controlled sostenuto by the New Trombone Collective. This piece caught my attention for the genuinely innovative way it combines largely consonant musical language with contrapuntal merging of its melodic material. A long, introspective central section introduces some fine solo playing before working through to the original ideas. I was heartened to hear such a fine realisation of Bourgeois' Scherzo Funèbre. Commissioned by Peter Gane for the Guildhall School of Music trombone ensemble, this work deserves to be regarded as a classic. The title is a little misleading in that there is a fairly extensive slow opening in Derek's best tragic mood before the scherzo proper begins. This following 6/8 movement maintains the funereal vein and at times is reminiscent of Holst's The Perfect Fool and Derek's own War March of the Ostriches. The piece is treated to a performance of great integrity and commitment. It's strange to think that these fine trombonists, who all studied together such a short distance away across the English Channel in Rotterdam, are largely unknown to us. Each holding a position in the Netherlands, they belong to an obviously strong school of playing that is not too dissimilar to ours. Although some may find the sound a little lighter and brighter, it is always controlled with consistent intonation and beautiful melodic lines. Along with the various sponsors and supporters, they are to be congratulated on not only producing this enjoyable CD but in also inspiring some new repertoire. In addition to the Van Eeten, there are new pieces for 6 trombones from Hans Koolmees, Trotter, and Ilja Reijngoud, Where do you want to go today? This latter work, although intended to represent the jazz influence on our instrument, succeeds only in sounding like many other rather slight trombone ensemble pieces. That is not to detract from the wealth of transcriptions (ranging from Sweelinck to Debussy) and lovely Bruckner pastiche by German Brass' Enrique Crespo. Somewhat less successful is a curious quartet by Saskia Apon. The second movement is interesting and original but is quite at odds with its bland first movement. Personally, I found the recorded sound a little too close; consequently a little congested and lacking brilliance at times, but all in all you have here a good showcase for the New Trombone Collective. If you are a collector of all those fine solo CDs by 'you know who', why not give yourself a break and invest in this one from our close neighbours across the water?
Arthur Jennings professor University of Florida	This ensemble of top-level professional trombonists from the Netherlands blew us all away at ITF 2003 so I immediately snatched up a CD. All except two of the selections are published and readily available. I have a hard time getting through this CD because after a couple of tracks I want to go play my horn. The playing is lush, virtuosic and stylish and you know its just got to feel real good to play the trombone that way. Give it a listen.
Ivaylo Hristov Bass Trombonist Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra Edition Elm manager	It was great to meet you in Helsinki at the ITF 2003. Your concert was a small piece of incredible happiness for me. Ruud van Eeten's "Inner Space - trance of thought" is a piece of real music. There are not so many pieces of real beauty in the contemporary trombone ensemble repertoire like this one.
Jonathan Allen Albuquerque New Mexico, USA	I really love the first cd "Collective". Keep up the great work! Thank you for exposing the trombone world to so many new works! It is so exciting!