Julius Fučík (1872-1916) was a Czech composer and conductor of military bands. He wrote many works for this genre including over 400 marches, which led to him being referred to as the 'Bohemian Sousa'. Entry of the Gladiators was written in 1897 and was originally titled ' Grande Marche Chromatique ', reflecting the use of chromatic scales throughout the work. Fučík later changed the title due to his personal interest in the history of the Roman Empire. In 1901, American publisher Carl Fischer published a wind band arrangement of this piece by the Canadian composer Louis-Philippe Laurendeau, under the title ' Thunder and Blazes '. It was during this period that the song became very popular as a screamer march for circuses, used to introduce the parade of circus clowns.
This arrangement for Trombone Octet is by Duncan Wilson and is scored for 6 tenor trombones and 2 bass trombones.
Difficulty level: Intermediate and Advanced
Tenor Trombones 1, 3, 5, Bass Trombone 2 - Advanced
Tenor Trombones 2, 4, 6, Bass Trombone 1 - Intermediate
(If there are enough players present it is recommended that two people share the 1st trombone part)
Duration: 3 minutes
