The trombone is one of those much-maligned instruments, like the bassoon or the viola, which plays a crucial role in the orchestra and yet seems to provoke more snickers than applause. The slide looks silly, the sound is frequently used for comic relief, and a recent episode of the UK’s popular TV series, Doctor Who, featured a campy but sinister lineup of deadly trombone-wielding Santas. “One sometimes detects among trombonists a sense that the world is doing them down.”