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Re: Best Concert Band Rep for Clarinets

Author: clarinetist04
Date: 2015-11-22 02:47

Hammersmith (Holst) - but you need strong principals at least in most sections and a good Eb player is always nice. But good chamber sections and good clarinet parts.

Anything by Grainger - his works are strong in clarinet, but an unlikely one is a neat bass clarinet solo in Sussex Mummers Christmas Carol while the rest of the group sings during the opening sequence. interestingly, I heard this played at a district band one time.

I might put Postcard (Ticheli) into this category as well.

The Makris is a wonderful piece. The Dahl is great if your band has the chops to play it, like the Hindemith. The Dahl has a clarinet section solo in unison. Neat, challenging, and unconventional for sure.

Here's a smattering of other pieces you might consider looking into:
Milhaud's Suite Francaise, Winds of Nagual (if this is a really good group with a good "eefer") by Colgrass, Grantham's Southern Harmony, Husa's Concerto as well as Music for Prague, and so many others.

In the Clarinet Pages there is actually a list of so-called "quality" band literature with good clarinet section and solo parts. Worth giving that a look.

To me, all these orchestral transcriptions are sort of cheating.