Quartets & Trios for Trombones or Sackbuts, and some Brass Quartets/Quintets,
edited or arranged by John Kilpatrick

John Kilpatrick's
Home Page
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click the above to download it


The music on this page is all in the public domain and may be freely used, and be altered if required; please preserve any copyright notices or whatever makes the arranger or originator clear.
PLEASE NOTE: I may not liberally add expression, slurs, etc., especially to early music. Absence of these does not mean play unmusically!

All the pieces on this page are now in MuseScore 3. MuseScore 4 has now been released, but if this is used the layout of the pieces may be incorrect; in
particular, the paging may be wrong (e.g. one page + a few bars on the next page). Both the latest and older versions of MuseScore can be downloaded for free from here .
There are likely also to be format problems with Music XML. Some midi files contain unwanted pauses and unpaused run-ons on play-back

Free Quartet Music
(+ trio + quintet)
Trombone clefs: A=Alto, T=tenor, B=bass; in some pieces the 4th part needs to be a bass trombone.
Many pieces are suitable for Sackbuts, though the description is always given as Trombone.
Clefs are sometimes chosen by chance rather than by wisdom.

ICONS:   = PDF;    = MIDI;    = MuseScore;    = XML

JOHN KILPATRICK

Antique Suite
(trombones or sackbuts)

Trombone trio BBB
         
A suite of 4 movements loosely inspired by Susato. In Bb.

About 4 minutes.
the 3-part version is played from the 4-page score;
the 4-part pdf has score and parts.

Trombone quartet BBBB
         

SUSATO
(arrangements)

For an Urtext edition of Danserye complete, see danserye page;
This edition is available in Musescore so may be downloaded and pieces from it arranged at will.

Danserye Selection 1
Nos. 2,7,18,22,37,43,54,32

Brass quartet
Trp, Hn, Tbn, Bass
         
All or a subset may be played as a suite. The pieces have been transposed to lie within the range of the instruments. The bass part is best played on bass trombone or euphonium (rather than at tuba pitch, say).

Danserye Selection 2
Nos. 20,39,52,29,41

Brass quartet or quintet
  Trp, Hn, Tbn, Bass
         
Similar to above. The first 3 pieces are on the same theme "Mille ducas en vostre bource".

Basse Danses 1 & 2
Danserye Nos. 1 & 2

Trombone quartet ATTB/TTTB
         
These three each comprise Danserye pieces that can be played on a consort of instruments, or often four equal  instruments.

Basse Danses & Morisque
Danserye Nos. 9, 6, 5

Trombone quartet ATTB/TTTB
         

Allemaigne, Pavane & Galliarde
Danserye Nos. 29, 38, 50
(La Dona)

Trombone quartet TTTB
         

BEETHOVEN

Three Equali

Trombone quartet TTBB
         
 

CHERUBINI

O salutaris hostia (Bb)

Trombone quartet TTBB
         
from IMSP for voices TTBB

JOSQUIN des PREZ

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Trombone quartet BBBB
         
From CPDL (James Gibb) for voices TTTB (choral style)
transcribed to BBBB.

HANDEL

Lascia Ch'io Piango

Brass quartet 2 x Trp, Hn, Tbn
         
 

MARINI

Canzon 3

Trombone quartet ATTB/TTTB
         
 

MENDELSSOHN

Zwei geistliche Choere
Beati mortui; Periti autem.

Trombone quartet TTBB
         
Two male-voice (TTBB) unaccompanied motets:  
Set in the original key.

Lift Thine Eyes

Trombone trio BBB
           
From Elijah, transposed down an octave

MOZART

Ave Verum Corpus

Trombone quartet TTBB
         
Arranged from choral piece; transposed down a fifth.

NANINI

Hodie Christus natus est

Trombone quartet BBBB
         
 

PALESTRINA

Hodie Christus natus est

Trombone quartet BBBB
         
Arranged from choral pieces with narrow voice ranges,
e.g. SSAA.

Adoramus

Trombone quartet BBBB
         

Ave Maria (I)

Trombone quartet BBBB
         

Ave Maria (II)

Trombone quartet TBBB
         

SCHEIN

Two pieces à 4
Intrada; Padouana

Trombone quartet TTBB
         
from Banchetto Musicale

SCHEIDT

Canzon Cornetto

Trombone quartet TTBB
         
These pieces are arranged from guitar versions on IMSLP.
In Christe Some liberties are taken with the pitch and order of the parts.

Christe, qui lux es et dies

Trombone quartet TTBB
         

VECCHI

Mi vorrei trasformare (il grillo)

Trombone quartet TTBB
         
"The Cricket"; a humorous madrigal.

VICTORIA

Two motets
Ave Maria; O vos omnes.

Trombone quartet TTBB
         
From choral pieces;

(O vos  & Duo transposed down a fifth)

Duo Seraphim

Trombone quartet TTBB