 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-06-26 20:29
Those of us who live in the USA and are in band/orchestras here in the states will be having patriotic gigs next week (and some at the end of this week). So, I'm wondering what new pieces you're playing that you enjoy and would recommend to others. It seems many directors get stuck on the same old same old and it's very non-inspiring to those of us who have to play it each year. I also believe our audience gets a bit tired of hearing it.
Also, please mention if the piece is for orchestra or band and the publisher, if you know that information.
Smiles.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-06-26 23:06
Not necessarily "patriotic," but newer and lots 'o fun for band, "Dos Danzas Latinas" by Eric Richards (BMI 2002). Essentially a salsa based solo for Alto flute switching to piccolo that starts with slow intro moving to two dance sequences in contemporary jazz idiom.
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-06-26 23:30
We [band] played the "Armed Forces Salute" with added Green Burets [sp?] and Coast Guard themes added in, plus Guthrie's "This Land", and a "Broadway Center Stage" [musicals] as our patriotic contribution to "Old Glory" and other "militaristic-necessity" religious talks. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2006-06-26 23:55
Sorry, Brenda, I went looking for the list but it had been thrown out. We are playing the same type of assortment, with the addition of "The Wizard Of Oz", arranger unknown, "Midway March" by John Williams, and one I particularly wanted to mention - unfortunately I can't remember the title! Something about the "homefront". It's a medley of tunes from the WWII years - we have a lot of elderly folks visiting to whom those songs are very meaningful, and they sigh when we play this piece. I'll write back after Thursday with the title.
These are all for band.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2006-06-27 03:13
I think the "homefront" piece might be "The Homefront (Musical Memories from World War II)", arr. James Christensen. Curiously enough, no publisher is listed, but copyright notices are given for each of the tunes incorporated into this medley (It's Been a Long, Long Time, Thanks for the Memory, Bell Bottom Trousers, White Cliffs of Dover, I'll Be Seeing You, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree, and Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition).
Instead of piling all of our multitudinous patriotic numbers into one concert, our director seems to be spreading them out over the season. Most of them are things you've likely heard before (or perhaps would not find worth remembering) -- including the ubiquitous "Armed Forces Salute", which we will be doing this Friday.
New to me is one called "American Visions," arr. John Moss (Hal Leonard), and incorporating Yankee Doodle, Shenandoah, Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean, and America the Beautiful. Nothing to write home about, but a little different. We've got another one called "Broad Stripes and Bright Stars," arr. Robert Longfeld (Birch Island Music Press) that uses Yankee Doodle, Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier, America, and the Star-Spangled Banner. A somewhat interesting arrangement.
One we're doing that I'm looking forward to is Charles Ives' "Variations on 'America'", transcribed for band by William E. Rhoads (Merion Music). It's just fun.
One we're doing this week that I am NOT looking forward to is entitled "Sousa, A Modern Tribute to the World's March King, John Philip Sousa," arr. Warren Barker (Jenson Educational Productions, Inc.). This piece takes snips and snatches of the best-known Sousa marches and turns them on their ears -- ruptured rhythms and tonalities galore. It is a frustrating piece to play, if you have any respect at all for the originals, and my guess is that it will absolutely infuriate our audience, made up largely of the same folks who get misty-eyed about "The Homefront". I am not all that conservative, politically speaking (an understatement), but I believe our audience will interpret this piece as a grand razzberry at all they hold dear, and I see no point at all in irritating them. Misguided programming, IMO.
Susan
Post Edited (2006-06-27 03:15)
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2006-06-27 12:19
Yes, that's the piece I was talking about.
I agree with you about those snips of marches. I think, though, that as much as we musicians might enjoy "Variations on America", that misty-eyed public might not. It will be interesting to see.
Sue
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-06-27 14:20
We also have "The Homefront" on our list for Sunday and Tuesday. Our elderly audience does seem to enjoy that one. There are several of those types of pieces available like "Themes Like Old Times" (there are 3 of those). We also do "Armed Forces Salute," but we groan because we've played it to death. We beg our director to not play it. But, the crowd loves it. The veterans love to stand up as their "song" is played--my dad is one of them--Navy man WWII. They get a kick out of being honored--so I guess we can suck it up one more time and play it.
A fairly new one we're playing this year is "Flight of Valor," by James Swearingen, published 2003 by Birch Island Music Press. It is dedicated to Flight 93 on 9/11. It has some nice time changes and good clarinet parts (good for sections). It's one the audience enjoys because they've not heard it a thousand times before.
An older arrangement, "America, The Beautiful," by Samuel Augustus Ward, published in 1963 by Dragon Music Co., is a really nice piece that we will be doing--some of you probably did that piece in college or high school back in the sixties. And, we do "Lest We Forget, a Fantasia on Civil War Songs of the North and South," by Elliot Del Borgo, published 2002 by FJH Music Company, Inc. That's got some pretty stuff. Never fail to have somebody in the audience come up and complain that there's not enough songs from the South (or North) and too many of the other side. Amazing.
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2006-06-27 14:38
Yes, now that you mention the names, those are some we do as well. In this venue, we try to remember that we're providing enjoyment and recreation for locals and tourists alike, it's not about us.
There is another piece with Civil War songs which I think is entitled, "The Blue And The Gray". That's fairly challenging for a community group, and is a nice piece for the crowd, too.
Sue
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Author: William
Date: 2006-06-27 14:57
Another "vote" for "Armed Forces Salute" (again) followed by a Beach Boys medley (new, special arrangement), "Irving Berlin's America" and--as usual--ending up with "1812 Overture" with fireworks (con earplugs) over the lagoon. Good ole July 4th business as usual for our Beloit/Janesville Symphony Orchestra with a lot of the same old repretoire, but as an unapologetic USA patriot, I enjoy the festivities--as well as the good ole patriotic $$'s earned per service. Peace, everyone..............
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2006-06-27 16:27
Brenda, et al. --
We also did "Themes Like Old Times" and "Flight of Valor" last year. In fact, I sometimes think our band should be called the James Swearingen Festival Orchestra (if you've played one Swearingen commemorative, you've played them all, and we HAVE played them all -- our director is a band contest adjudicator, and since a lot of these pieces find their way into the h.s. contest circuit, he knows them intimately).
But I have to admit, I really liked "Flight of Valor". Maybe because the tragedy it commemorates is more real to us than, say, the sinking of various ships.
Susan
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-06-27 16:28
It's always a good time for everyone. When you see the WWII guys smiling and having a good time it makes the Armed Forces Salute a bit easier to play again and again.
Post Edited (2006-06-27 18:28)
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2006-06-27 16:48
I have two concerts. On July 3, the Town and Country Symphony Orchestra will be playing at a country club - fairly good fee for the orchestra to help finance next year's season. Along with the usuals (including "Armed Forces Salute" - once a year isn't all that often), and some "popsey" pieces, we'll do "Hoedown" from Copland's "Rodeo," Richard Rogers' "Victory at Sea" (I've done this with band before but never with orchestra - band's more fun; in the orchestral version, the violins get most of the good stuff), and "1812" (also the first time I've done the original orchestral version).
On July 5, we (University City Summer Band) aren't really doing a "4th of July" concert. Our conductor's theme for this season is a focus on various sections. That week, the flutes and clarinets get the spotlight. We'll do "Clarinet Candy" with the entire clarinet section playing the four solo parts, and "A Tribute to Artie Shaw" with three clarinet soloists (I get to do "Begin the Beguine"). We're also doing a band transcription of von Suppe's "Overture to Tantalusqualen." While not a patriotic piece (AFAIK), It has a very lengthy clarinet solo. You can hear a recording of the full work here:
http://www.kjos.com/audio/mp3/wb201.mp3
The recording, BTW, is by the St. Louis Wind Symphony, far and away the best wind ensemble I've heard in St. Louis. One of the ways they raise money is recording works for Kjos to put on its website. As it turns out, I'm in the recording, sitting in with the third clarinets. The recording was done with about 20 minutes of rehearsal and two takes. On one take, one of the firsts played the solo. On the other (the one heard here), all three members of the first section played it.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-06-27 19:49
I highly recommend playing Christmas music on Independence Day, and patriotic music during the Christmas season. Breaks up the monotony.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-06-27 19:57
I was about to suggest "Guantánamera" to add a thoughtful note...
--
Ben
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Author: susieray
Date: 2006-06-27 20:59
<I highly recommend playing Christmas music on Independence Day, and patriotic music during the Christmas season. Breaks up the monotony.>
Now you're thinking, Dave! OR you could do both at the same time and play "Jingle Bells Forever" ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
Sue
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-06-27 21:19
Good idea, Sue! Maybe in a medley with "White Stripes", and "The Star-Spangled Sleigh Ride"???
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-06-27 23:17
Now, see...we're getting the creative juices flowing. Composers among us, anyone? Let's get it out before next 4th--or Dec. 25th!
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2006-06-28 03:32
Just got home from band rehearsal for our Independence Day concert.
I realized for the first time tonight that that "Armed Forces Salute" depends really heavily on the clarinets. It's almost a clarinet section showcase.
Funny, I'd never noticed that before (I've played it as a clarinetist and as an oboist -- oboe this year).
Susan
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-06-28 13:59
Brenda,
The image of the teary eyed vet reminded me of a recent gig for the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum (Savannah, GA). We performed four works composed by a member of the bomber wing who served time in a German POW camp named Leland Forsblad. His works are as follows:
Concertante (2003), Hurricane Watch (2003), Chorale A Seria (2003) and The Eighth Air Force Memorial (1985)
The last work is a sonic depiction of bombers taking off, running into enemy fighters, completing a bombing run and returning to base replete with sound effects taken from the movie "Memphis Belle."
The vets were very moved.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Wendy
Date: 2006-06-28 16:15
"Good idea, Sue! Maybe in a medley with "White Stripes", and "The Star-Spangled Sleigh Ride"???"
Don't laugh. At Christmas our band plays a number called "Stars and Stripes for Christmas." It mixes Stars & Stripes with the Halleluja Chorus ![[whoa]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie10.gif) , Jingle Bells, and Angels We have Heard on High. It's fluff, but the audience thinks it's funny and LIKES it!
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Author: coasten1
Date: 2006-06-28 21:12
Did I miss something or is nobody playing (said in one really long breath) Stars and Stripes Forever?
Tony
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Author: marzi
Date: 2006-06-28 22:20
stars and stripes forever, every summer every concert, don't have to read every note by now!
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Author: triddle
Date: 2006-06-28 22:32
Here ya go...top to bottom:
"Anchors" Opener/SSB
Victory at Sea
Hero for Today - vocal
Four Dances from "West Side Story"
La Virgen de la Macarena - Trumpet solo
A Tribute to Stephen Foster (Sammy Nestico - lots of fun)
The House I Live in - Sinatra
Blackbird - (yeah, the Beatles) - vocal trio
Overture "1812"
Armed Forces Medely
Stars and Stripes Forever
Tom Riddle
ATLANTIC Fleet Band
Norfolk, VA
BTW...1812 has some nasty little spots in...lots of fun and no place to hide!!
Tom Riddle
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