Klarinet Archive - Posting 000908.txt from 1995/10

From: John Baetens <jsbtens@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: The best book in show business
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 23:49:03 -0400

At 02:03 PM 10/23/95 EDT, Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu wrote:
>Walter Quan suggests that, in his opinion, the best book in show biz
>is reed three of West Side Story. That is hard to argue with. In one
>number, "A Boy Like That" all 5 or 6 reed players jump on bass clarinet
>at the same time. Can you imagine that? Five or 6 bass clarinets
>playing together in one show????...
>
>
Wow, that would have been worth the price of admission alone. That reminds
me of an experience I had while attending one of my daughter's weekly
High School Marching Band competitions. After about the 16th band started
performing, I was starting to get a little burned out on all that blaring
brass, when the band on the field went into a bass clarinet soli. It only
lasted about 5 seconds, but the crowd really picked up and took notice. The
sound of bass clarinet in the chalemeau (sp?) filled the field. I immediately
took inventory of the instrumentation on the field and all that sound was
coming from 3 bass clarinettists. Amazing how they were able to produce
such a sound outdoors!
In my high school days (later Jurassic period) you never saw bass
clarinets in marching bands. Now it seems they all have at least one.

John Baetens