Trombone Rhymes

• Solo Trombone with Audience Participation
• Completed: 15 March 2020; Premiered: 15 March 2020
• Sheet Music Plus

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The lyrics for these six songs are silly rhyming verses appropriate for children, originally composed for soprano and piano. This adaptation for solo trombone and audience participation uses the same lyrics with new music. In each song, the soloist plays trombone, then recites a line of the lyric that is repeated by the audience one or more times. After additional trombone playing, the soloist completes the verse.

The original songs for soprano and piano have also been arranged for unison children's choir (or solo soprano) and chamber orchestra and for SATB chorus.

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1 — Merle the Squirrel

The Earl of Byrl was a squirrel named Merle,
Who had a bushy tail that would not curl.
He did not care
His tail was just a lump of hair,
Until he met the girl squirrel Pearl.

2 — Tony the Pony

The accent of Tony the Pony was phony,
And everyone knew it but Joanie.
Who thought it was sweet when he said,
“Would you care for a bite to eat?”
But he only ever fed her baloney.

3 — A Monkey in the Zoo

A monkey in the zoo by the name of Bobbie Sue,
Had an uncle of one hundred and two.
She asked him, “Does it hurt,”
“To be older than dirt?”
“And to be a monkey’s uncle, too?”

4 — Donna the Iguana

Donna the iguana said that she was gonna
Get some sun and fun in Tijuana.
But when she missed her flight,
In the middle of the night,
She knew she’d have to wait ’til mañana.

5 — Laura Bell the Gazelle

Laura Bell the gazelle wasn’t feeling very well
When she heard what her friend had to tell.
“You know, I’ve been tryin’,”
Said Ryan the Lion,
“An all red meat diet…Oh, well!”

6 — Claire the Bear

Claire the bear went up the stair
To look for something that she could wear.
But she found nothing clean,
And later was seen
With her little bear bottom bare.