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Abstract
“Theophonic Trombone” is an exploration of the trombone’s representation of the divine in musical settings combined with pedagogical guidance to trombone students, promoting genuine and informed performance of such works. The terms “theophony” and “theophonic” are introduced as an alteration of the word, “theophany,” to indicate a manifestation of God or the divine through sound. The provenance of how the trombone came to be associated with the divine is explored, along with the unique timbre characteristics of the instrument that support its theophonic role. A lecture recital presents the extended metaphor of the trombone as representing the divine through a curated subset of solo, orchestral, operatic, and chamber works. The selected repertoire encompasses a spectrum of affects including warning, judgment, wrath, despair, praise, and hope.