History:

In homage to the work of the original ensemble, below are direct quotes and press articles dating from 1892 - 1896 showing how varied their work was as a quartet and in what high esteem they were held.

Additionally, Messrs - T. Colton, F. W. Davies, E. Atherley & R. H. Booth held positions with The Royal Italian Opera, Drury Lane Theatre & The London Symphony Orchestra with Mr T. Colton also being Professor of trombone at the Royal College of Music.

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Formed in London in 1892, they performed in venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, Westminster Town Hall & Cloisters, The Savage Club and even once appeared for the prestigious Gresham Lectures. Individually, members also played in the newly formed Queen’s Hall Orchestra which was created specifically for the ‘Promenade Concert series’ with the first ever 1st night of the Proms being held on 10th August 1895 conducted by Mr Henry J. Wood.

An array of literature from the original quartet survives including their own description of their playing and a review from the Daily Telegraph (April 9th 1894) who were clearly expecting something slightly less subtle.

“Every graduation of light and shade from the soft pianissimo was heard with effect, and each performer being a specialist on their instrument”

"…whose performance must have surprised those who had previously associated a splendidly expressive instrument with nothing but furious & biting blasts”

Concert at Westminster Town Hall - April 6th 1894

Below is an archive advertisement from the London Evening Standard dated 4th April 1896 for a Queen’s Hall concert with the Queen’s Hall Orchestra featuring The Concert Trombone Quartette accompanied by organist, Mr Henry J. Wood.

Henry Wood Concerts, Music Recitals etc.

The rediscovery of Heinrich Schütz’s motet for bass voice & trombones, Fili mi Absalon towards the end of the 1800’s led to numerous performances of this work and, alongside Beethoven’s Equale for trombones, these rapidly became standard repertoire for the instrument and were even performed by the CTQ at The Queen’s Hall concert series.

Queen’s Hall Interior, London. (original image dated 1904) 'By permission of Historic England Archive’

"Algernon S. Rose described the quartet's concert for Gresham College's free music lectures as having demonstrated "the wondrous beauty of concerted trombone music." Their only known selection was a Largo by Mozart, arranged for four trombones. Rose continued, "To the musicians present the performance was a revelation. Why? Because the players knew not only how to blare forth for an occasional effect, but how to make their trombones sing pianissimo, and the tone steal away... silently" 535

Raymond David Burkhart - Brass Chamber Music in Lyceum & Chautauqua

1st July 1895 – The Musical Times:

"….and by Gluck in his opera Orfeo" Mr Morrow received the able assistance of three members of the Concert Trombone Quartet.

"Advertisements for a Concert Trombone Quartet began to appear in 1894, and the group continued to perform at least through 1896. Most of the advertisements do not mention what they performed, but at a Queen's Hall promenade concert, they played "The Little Church" by V. E. Becker and "Robin Adair (harmonized)."