 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: tenthchair
Date: 2008-07-20 03:05
Does anyone here play clarinet for your church? I was wondering if you have any music suggestion that is appropriate for the church setting on clarinet and organ. Thank You!
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Author: Tode
Date: 2008-07-20 03:26
I play at my church often and people always seem to enjoy a change of pace. I tend to play a lot of transcriptions but I also play hymns and descants as well (good transposition practice!). As far as music, you can always take a violin piece and transpose it (I've got Bach's Air on G String that I use often). Experimenting is key when trying to figure out what works.
There are also some nice arrangements of clarinet stuff you can use such as the second movement from the Mozart Concert and Quintet. Luyben has some of these collections (Bach) as well as simple arrangements of spirituals and various hymns collections. I'd suggest browsing various music vendors like Luyben Wiener's Music, WWBW, etc.
(If you're also into bass clr, I would suggest playing the Bach Cello Suites. It doesn't require any accompaniment and it's a blast!)
I know that's a bit more than you wanted but I hope it helps. Best of luck! =)
~Sarah Todenhoft~
Geaux Tigers!
Post Edited (2008-07-20 03:34)
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2008-07-20 11:12
Hi,
At this morning's service at a local Episcopal church, I'm playing a transcription I did of Vaughn Williams' Rhosymedre with organ for the prelude. For the Offertory, it's Spring and Summer from Reade's The Victorian Kitchen Garden Suite with piano.
It's great to do some thing with a real pipe organ (but there is a slight sound delay with some of the older ones and with this one, I need a really long barrel). I have used soprano or alto sax as well depending on the setting.
For the transcription, I usually start with the choral or organ part to transcribe Bach preludes. When I do this though, I make the organ an equal partner in the setting. Then I get a little rest and it is more interesting for the congregation.
Nothing like the reverberation of an old Gothic style church. The clarinet can really soar and the alto sax is beautiful using a nice classical sound.
HRL
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Author: tenthchair
Date: 2008-07-20 17:26
HRL,
I never thought of using the Victorian Kitchen Garden Suite. This is a very nice piece! Thank you for your suggestions. Please offer more! Thanks!
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2008-07-20 21:39
Tenthchair,
The two movements of the Victorian were very well received. It was a lovely morning here in TOL as well.
There is a book by Mel Bay of French Pieces for Clarinet and Piano that I have used several times. Some really nice pieces.
HRL
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Author: jimk
Date: 2008-07-21 02:53
I play in my own church and occasionally in others. The starting point (unless you already know) is any restrictions on music selection. Some churches might limit an instrumentalist to music that will be recognized as sacred music. Others will also accept music from what they consider the classical repetoire.
If you need or want sacred music, I suggest
despub.com
washingtonmusic.org
for possibilities. I'm currently reading through Bill Holcombe's "Songs of Faith, Vol 2". I don't remember where I got it, possibly JW Pepper.
If you are used to a 1-6 system of rating the complexity of a piece (1 = easiest), there are quite a few things in the range of 2-4. Once in awhile I can find something claiming to be a 5.
Right now I'm looking for some trios that must fit the host church's expectations of sacred music.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2008-07-21 10:18
Jimk,
Excellent point. I have found the Episcopal church more concerned about the religious season in what I play. But the organist is always the last word. I did the Old Castle from Pictures at an Exhibition last summer on alto so there is a lot of latitude.
At my home Lutheran church, the organist/keyboard player is a great local jazz player. We have even had a Dixieland group perform at selected times. There is much latitude but Bach is usually always right. We are planing some Michael Brecker with me on tenor.
When I was playing regularly at a TOL Baptist church, we even did some C&W that had a religious theme. Check out Long Black Train by Josh Turner; we did the track with a terrific female vocalist and I jammed on alto. It was great! But there was always some very traditional organ work on a marvelous old pipe organ.
HRL
PS There are a couple of jazz guys locally that have regular pay gigs on Sunday AM at various churches. A lot has changed in the last few decades.
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2008-07-21 14:49
I've used stuff from Resort Productions (still around?) 800 648 4042, e.g. "Music for Three" (also for two, four) "Sacred, Spirituals & Traditional Jewish Music" (and others), played Bb and Bass (on Cello or Bassoon part), also Mozart, Bach, etc. 'worshipful' stuff, and have written my Bass part for clarinet duets. What works depends what part of the service - showy performance stuff distracts during communion, and slow pieces may not work for precession/recession. Also, if doing this over the long term (months, years) you can gradually stretch the congregation's music acceptance. Music director's guidance is key.
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Author: James Langdell
Date: 2008-07-21 16:02
The publisher BflatNH asked about is still around, but it's actual name is Last Resort Music at http://lastresortmusic.com .
The online catalog for this publisher, by the way, is frustratingly chaotic. There's no need for that, because the music books themselves are organized in a well designed way. For a given number of instruments (two, three, or four), there are coordinated editions for different keyed instruments to cover each part. But you'd hardly realize that from the way the screens are laid out.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2008-07-21 17:33
I've been seeing more sensitivity lately about the religious content of music played in church. One problem, of course, is that fact that there isn't much published that would be of help. I've had students do well using play-along books with CD accompaniment, but even those have to be screened for quality and practicality.
I saw Bill Holcombe's name come up in this thread and would strongly recommend looking into whatever he has to offer. I've never tried any solo arrangements of his, but his ensemble arrangements are very good, and usually available in a wide range of instrumentation.
Allen Cole
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Author: clariniano
Date: 2008-07-21 18:07
I regularly play for church services (in fact, I played for a service last weekend), mainly at the church my boyfriend is music director at (but sometimes at the churches my student's families attend), and his advice is that choices of preludes should represent a reflection upon the world, so a slow-moderate piece especially the arias from some operas--I find Nessum Dorma which is found in a book called The Classic Experience which I've played for at least 3 different church services is a hit with the members.
Lighter classical works usually work for preludes and postludes, and if the church uses an instrumental offeratory or special music such works are good for them too, allthough I've used slow movements from various clarinet sonatas and concertos for preludes as well, like the slow movement of the famous Stamitz clarinet concerto or the Arnold Sonatina.
Mozart is always a hit with the audience, so the slow movement from the concerto or quintet is probably going to work, sometimes the last movement, especially if it's a rondo for the last movement for postludes. Offeratorys and Special Music selections should be fairly short, preludes I usually recommend to be around 5 minutes in length. I often play a lively piece in a major key for the postlude, this I usually choose a piece that's about 3-5 minutes in length. Some of the pieces I do are arrangements my boyfriend creates, and I play along on the hymns too, a couple of times a flute or oboe instrumental part included on some choir pieces my boyfriend transposed for clarinet worked out really well, I wish the services were recorded on video so I could show you some of the stuff. Oh and this is on top of teaching (which will be at least 20 students in September (piano and clarinet, probably more with the private school clarinetists my boyfriend will be teaching at starting in September--two of my clarinet students attend that school), playing in a symphony, studying and practicing for exams, and performing concerts of solo and chamber music repertoire.
Meri
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Author: robertgh
Date: 2008-07-22 02:47
Liturgical services can present interesting opportunities along with constraints. I've used a transcription of "The Crucifixion" from Barber's Hermit Songs for a Good Friday Tenebrae service (text printed in the bulletin for context) and the "Carol" from Finzi's Five Bagatelles at Christmas—both with piano. There's a good arrangement of Mozart's Adagio in F major, Kv.580a, for a change from the concerto and quintet.
The Albinoni Concerto in D, originally for trumpet, works nicely when transcribed for clarinet & organ, particularly pipe organ—the three movements used as prelude, offertory, and recessional. And since Ken Burns has made use of the 1st. mvt. of the Copland concerto in The War, that might work well around Memorial Day or perhaps Veterans Day. For that matter, the third of the Vaughan Williams Six Folksong Studies, though short, is perfect for All-Saints Day.
Has anyone here used the Five Old American Songs for Clarinet and Organ arranged by James Sclater (pub. Schirmer)?
Bob H.
Post Edited (2008-07-22 05:01)
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2008-07-22 15:33
Hi Meri, Allen, and Bob,
All great ideas and some nice literature suggestions. Two recent things I did with two clarinets and organ were Salvation is Created by Tchesnokov and couple of trumpet settings by Jeremiah Clark that were great from postludes.
Folk songs like Shenandoah as well as the Water is Wide can work very well. Again, the liturgical issues at the particular church may dictate some choices but a lovely melody tastefully performed is usually always appreciated.
In the case of the Victorian Kitchen selections I did last Sunday brought a more than reserved amount of applause which was a pleasant suprised. Who said that the Episcopalians were very reserved! And then the organist did a Mendelssohn fugue as a postlude; people came up front to hear,watch. and applaud. It was magnificent.
HRL
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Author: mrn
Date: 2008-07-23 03:50
I've done a lot of playing for church services, but never actually with an organ. Most of the places I've played didn't have organs, and the one that did had really strange tuning, so it was not possible to play in tune with it using A=440/442 instruments.
Here's what I've played with piano for church services, though (mostly as prelude music):
2nd mvt. from Mozart Concerto
Schumann's Fantasy Piece No. 1
Bach/Gounod Ave Maria (transposed from a C instrument part)
Pachelbel's Canon in D (I have a version written for Bb clarinet and piano/organ)
Here are some pieces that I've never actually played in church, but would seriously consider playing if the opportunity ever arose:
Andante or Allegretto Grazioso movement from Brahms' Sonata No. 1 in f minor (although I've never tried it, the Andante movement sounds like it might work with an organ in place of the piano--the Allegretto movement you'd need a piano for, though, IMHO)
A slow movement from one of the Stamitz Concertos (such as the Romanze from Concerto No. 3 in Bb or the Aria from Concerto No. 11 in Eb)
Arabesque No. 1 by Debussy (although you might have to make your own transcription for clarinet and piano--and it would probably work better on an A clarinet, rather than Bb, due to the key it's in)
Intermezzo from Carmen Suite No. 1 (you might have to make your own transcription of this--although I believe that there is a flute/piano version out there someplace)
If you're a bit adventurous and have a need to play something rather sombre, the 2nd Mvt. from Poulenc's Sonata (for Clarinet and Piano) is actually a paraphrase of a piece of sacred music (a movement from Poulenc's Gloria). I've never been able to find an occasion when I thought I could use it in church, but it is a deeply spiritual piece, so I know there has to be a use for it somewhere.
Also, if your church uses hymnals, you might want to see if the hymnal publisher puts out a "Bb instrument" book to go along with the hymnals. When I became a music director at a church a number of years ago, the church I was at only had piano and guitar books, and that's all I thought there was. After I took the position, though, I started getting mail from hymnal publishers, and discovered that you can actually buy additional accompaniment books for instruments in C and Bb. You might check to see if you can find those for your hymnal (assuming your church uses one).
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2008-07-24 16:31
Just throwing this out there if anyone plays for a church like mine:
My husband is the music director at our protestant evangelical church and the worship services are somewhat informal and one of our services is contemporary.
We have a flute player in our church who plays recognizable church songs (hymns, choruses, i.e.) and she has the words to the song she plays displayed via Power Point on the main screen. For our congregation and the type of worship we do, I find this very nice. It tends to place the focus more on the message of the song than on the player.
(My experience, my church, our style of worship. Your mileage may vary.)
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Author: allencole
Date: 2008-07-25 02:50
mrn bring up one of our biggest dangers. I was asked to bring my sax to a yearly meeting of the old country church where my forebears are buried. It's no longer active and has no climate control. It was impossible play the instrument with the piano. Next time I'll take a guitar.
Anyone who is playing in a strange place should check out the accompaniment instrument. Cold sanctuaries can cause pianos to rise in pitch, and you can't fix that on a woodwind without a hacksaw.<g> Another common practice is to have the piano and organ tuned to match each other, even if it is to a considerably incorrect pitch.
Ditto for canned accompaniments. Cassette players vary widely in speed, and you can get burned. I would never consider canned tracks except on CD or MIDI--and those can be unforgiving even in good conditions.
My church has a Clavinova electric piano, which is terrific. You can both tune it and transpose using its menu-driven software.
Allen Cole
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Author: tenthchair
Date: 2008-08-03 17:25
If anyone is interested, this is what I played today for church:
JS Bach's Wachet Auf (no repeats) for the prelude. I borrowed this arrangement by Tomei from the ICA library. Beware, there are a lot of mistakes in piano and clarinet parts, so consult the original score for some guidance.
Near to the Heart of God/Children of the Heavenly Father arranged by Brant Adams for the offertory from (http://www.lorenz.com/product.aspx?id=30_1943L) transposed to clarinet.
For Communion: Gabriel Faure's Pie Jesu from the Richard Stoltzman's book
and the Larghetto movement from Ralph Vaughan Williams English folk Song.
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Author: Don Gross
Date: 2008-08-03 21:16
Bob H. asked if anyone had played "Five Old American Songs arranged for Clarinet in B-flat and Organ." A year or so ago I performed two of the songs; "When Jesus Wept" and "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need." They are two of the easier songs to work up with limited rehearsal time with the organist. They come across very well in performance. If your ear is used to hearing "My Shepherd..." in 3/4, be prepared for a "Joyful, Bright" 2/4 at quarter = 120. Jim shared with me that he "heard" it in 2/4 and arranged it accordingly. I ordered the music from Gary Van Cott. www.vcisinc.com.
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