 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Fred
Date: 2002-09-22 20:20
Seems like an appropriate day to ask this question . . .
I was wondering how many of our posters play in church regularly or on special occasions. Items of interest would be what other instruments (besides clarinet of course) do you play there, what type of group do you have, and what style of music is played.
The topic is of special interest to me, because church orchestra was my re-introduction to playing after a 20+ year layoff. Our normal group consists of a good complement of low brass, trumpets, horn, clarinet (me), flutes, and tenor/soprano sax. To round it all out we use guitar, bass, percussion, piano and keyboard. The music is typically either very upbeat or worship choruses. I just bought an alto sax because that part wasn't getting covered. Now just where do the fingers go again . . . ?
I'm so fortunate to be playing with an incredible group of musicians like that. They have stretched me beyond where I ever thought I'd be. And of course I feel like I'm doing what I was meant to do with all those years of study and playing that I had put on the shelf. So if you are looking for a great place to play, and haven't yet found your niche, maybe there is a church orchestra out there that has been looking for someone just like you. Try it . . . you just might like it!
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-09-22 21:04
In our city of about 35000 pop. with some 10000 more nearby, we have some 5-10 church instrumental-musical groups. I play sop cl, at times bass cl or alto sax, with 3 of them, like next Sun at 1st Pres. Church, [we are members at the G S Pres]. With 4-6 strings, 3 WW's, 3-4 brass and organ/piano, most of us from the local symphony, so we are an "orchestra", I guess. Some of the others
groups are "comtemporary", meaning guitars, drums etc. We play well-orchestrated hymns and "specials", well-arranged old [and new] church-oratorio-etc music, which is quite appreciated as contributing to our worship services. My other playings are in a community band and for infrequent BDWY musicals. Is this what you are looking for, Fred? Don
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-09-22 21:34
I play tenor sax as my manistay instrument and next in order of use are: alto sax,soprano sax and clarinet. My experience is big band,and combo work,and most recently a German polka and waltz band. (Octoberfest is upon us)
My Church is a small non-denominatonal one that uses a Praise Band (contemporary Chistian Style ) It is made up of two guitars,acoustic and electric(the noisy one).An electric bass,electronic drums and myself. I use only alto sax and soprano sax with the group. I am awaiting a chance to use the clarinet,should a hymn come up that I could be heard on. The players are young people that are either ex Rock band players or just starting out to be Rock players.
They do not read music,only basic chords. I envy you playing with musicians. I am much older and sometimes I feel I should look for a Church that has a varied music program, such as yours....but I love my Pastor and the spiritual aspects of our Church...so I hang in and stay with the music style of today and add to the group with sax back up and solos. Its good experience playing mostly in B,F#,C# and occasionaly E. Rock guitarists do not like to play in flats,I found out. I do enjoy a lot of the modern day Contemporary Christian songs and a few of them allow me to stretch out on the alto and soprano sax. I especially like "Lord,I Lift Your Name On High".That is my Church band experience. I do enjoy it,though,it keeps me young at heart.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2002-09-22 21:35
I play when I can in the church orch. (bass lines on my contra). Daughter is on clarinet or flute. Wife on flute. Wife does some special solos now and then that knocks em dead. We found that Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance" is in the Methodist Hymnal and we are working on a special arangement of it. Its turning out to be a challenge.
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Author: Daniel
Date: 2002-09-22 22:37
I hate organised religion, and wouldn't waste my time and talents playing in a church. I once played in a synagogue, but only because they paid me!
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Author: Jill
Date: 2002-09-22 23:45
An appropriate time for me to read this question, since I just walked in from our Sunday night service. Tonight we had a special, music-only service, where my husband and I played a duet--him on soprano sax, and me on clarinet. We've found a good bit of contemporary Christian instrumental solo music with accompaniment on CD or written out for piano, and we have a good time with them--sometimes I make up a harmony part--hence the duets.
Our church also has an instrumental ensemble--we play arrangements and also accompany the choir anthems on special occasions.
A praise band plays at the earlier Sunday morning service--contemporary-type choruses and other music with guitars, percussion, sax and trumpet, and keyboard.
I am the church pianist, and I enjoy playing all these types of music, as well as playing in a handbell choir. Our 2 daughters play clarinet and percussion, and both of them sing solos in church. The people in our congregation are positive, enthusiastic, and very tolerant of any errors! I feel that I am lucky to have had all these opportunites.
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Author: John Gibson
Date: 2002-09-23 02:52
I "practised" with my church band a number of times when I first "started up" again, but the leader preferred my reading music rather than "jazzing" along. Granted I was just new to the clarinet again after 30 years, but I am not into reading. I spent years playing rock and roll drums professionally, and even though I was "trained" to play clarinet, I prefer improv. That didn't sit well I guess. Now I'm a bedroom player...but am much better than I was a cople years ago when I said "hey church guy, can I play along?".....so I think I'm headed back. Matter of fact...I can do things on my horn now that I wouldn't even attempt "back then".
damn I'm good!!!
John
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2002-09-23 03:39
Last time someone told me that he/ she didn't believe in organized religion I said I didn't either, that's why I belong to ______ _____ church! There's no organization there! (Name witheld to protect the guilty) (My pastor didn't appreciate my humor when I repeated the story for him.)
"Lord of the Dance" is actually an adaptation of the Shaker tune "Simple Gifts" used by Copeland in Appalacian Spring. There are many arangements or it around. (I heard a marching band do it in competition last night. It was a complex arangement for a song with the words "Tis a gift to be simple...") What I like about "Lord of the Dance" is the theology of the text that was set to "Simple Gifts." Are you sure about Flatley? My hymnal is at church (good place for it) but another book with "Lord of the Dance" (same hymn) credits Sydney Carter.
The 1989 Meth. Hymnal is a departure from earlier versions and has some interesting stuff in it (which I suspect most Methodists ignore.) Look for Ellington's "Come Sunday" and Hal Hopson's setting of 1 Cor 13 as well as "On Eagles Wings." Can you tell I've been singing from it since 1990?
Try Don Besig's "Come Follow Me" which has a beautiful solo obligato written for flute, but it works great on clarinet (needs transposition of course.) Great text as well.
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Author: Allen Cole
Date: 2002-09-23 04:37
I play 2-3 times a year with an impromptu church orchestra--generally put together for the purpose of accompanying the choir in a Christmas or Easter cantata.
Instrumentation normally consists of 1 each trumpet, trombone and alto sax, and 1-2 each flute, clarinet & strings. Most of the arrangements are very good and work will with a reduced size group. For example, arrangements calling for two flutes, two clarinets and an oboe can be reduced to one 1st flute and one 2nd clarinet. Oboe cues appear in either the clarinet or flute part depending on tessitura.
I also play on occasion in duets or other small groups, but these are very difficult to get together due to the fast pace of people's lives.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-09-23 13:54
One of the wind ensembles I play in regularly is sponsored by a local Presbyterian church, and we frequently play Sunday services in the church in addition to regular concerts in auditoriums. Although I'm not a member of the church (or any church, for that matter) I feel very comfortable playing their services in exchange for their sponsorship (and besides, the church's pastor is a good speaker and his sermons are usually worth listening to!). We play the standard concert band repertoire as well as arrangements of church hymns to back up the choir and/or vocal soloist(s).
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Author: BeckyC
Date: 2002-09-23 15:36
It was a church orchestra that brought me back for good. I played "bedroom" style for years just for myself up until them.
I have now been playing for a year an a half with the orchestra.
We have 1 grand piano, 3 keyboards, 2 violins, 1 sax, 1 bassoon, 1 flute, 2 clarinets, 1-2 trombone, 1 french horn, 2-4 trumpets, 1 accustic guitar, 1 bass guitar, 1 awsome harmonica player, full drum set, tympony, a special Friend who plays the cymbols. An occasional Oboe player, that we lost to the profession of Band directing too far away.
Each and every Sunday the 100+ choir and the muscians just WOW every body EVERY TIME. The music really does something to you. It really sets the WORSHIP of the service.
Our music director and orchestra dircetor work well together to give a good mixture of the old and new, hymns and contemporary.
Just about anything you could think of.
If any of you are in the Texarkana area, let me know. We would be delighted to have you join in. Even you Daniel!! You might just change you mind.
We have a week long presentation of THE BOOK coming Dec. 4. It fills the house every night. YOU ALL ARE INVITED!!!
Becky
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Author: William
Date: 2002-09-23 16:14
I am a fairly busy musician (classical and jazz) with my share of paying gigs. My only "church gig" was an on-going "jazz Sunday" at a local Lutherian (of all churchs) which occured twice a year over the past seven years. The minister played trumpet in our small dixieland ensemble (clar, sax, trombone, keyboard, bass, drms) and we simply jammed the regular hymns while congregation sang along. We would first all play the tune, then invite the congregation to sing and take solos with each verse except the last when we would all "play it out." "Just a Closer Walk" and "Saints" were expecially popular special tunes for the offerings and exit music. Great fun, but unfortunately, the trumpet player chose to relocate to a new calling (and a new wife) in Iowa and the jazz Sundays were not continued by the new minister. For me, they were a most personally rewarding musical experiance for which I took no pay (although offered) for my services. Instead, the money was donated to an activity fund for providing music and instruments for the congregations youth. There are many other church gigs in our city, but ours was the only jazz variety. What a wonderful ours was to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord" and bring music to the public (and, hopefully, the public to future musical non-church oriented events). Every little gig helps--even the "freebies".
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2002-09-23 17:21
I used to play with a small Catholic church before I met my wife (when we started dating I went to her church, which is much larger than my former one and already had an established choir). The pianist was completely self-taught, but transposed nearly everything to E or F#, plus he improvised a lot. So I improvised too. We'd trade melodies back and forth a lot, especially in songs where there were several beats between spoken parts. I'd feel like Branford Marsalis playing with Sting. I miss playing there.
Now our big church is looking for people to join ministries. I guess that's my call to join up with the choir.
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Author: Pam
Date: 2002-09-24 03:26
Playing at church was really the impetius to get me started playing again. I go to a very large non-denominational church in my city. We have a pretty good size orchestra - 1 piano, 1 organ, 2 keyboards, 2-3 guitars, many drums/rhythm, 3 clarinets, 3 flutes, no oboe right now - we usually cover the part in clarinet or flute, 3-4 trumpets, 3 french horns, 3 bones (one is a bass), 1 Tuba, 1 String bass, 2 Cellos, 1-2 Violas, 8-10 violins. The choir is at around 100+ voices per service.
We, the orchestra and choir do 3 services every Sunday with many of us rotating and doing one or two services each week so really the section coverage is higher than the numbers above. Then there are two more services that are a tad "wilder" musically and are covered by the rhythm group for the most part - piano, keyboards, sax, some brass, guitars, drums, etc.
We do a big concert at Christmas with 11 performances over two weeks and another big one for Easter with 2-3 performances Good Friday evening and 4-5 Services Easter Sunday morning. Bb Clarinet is my main instrument for most of this. I play with a flute choir as well. The flute choir does preludes about once every two months, with more activity around the holidays.
On a normal Sunday we have a pretty good mix of music. About 30 minutes worth of hymns, worship & praise songs, feature songs - like what you hear on Christian radio.
I really enjoy playing at church. Another benefit of my church being so big is that we have our own School of Fine Arts offering lessons in voice, and most of the instruments. I know that both of my teachers have a degree in music education and that the standards are kept high for all of the teachers.
So that's my story. We rehearse together once a week. The flute choir gets together every other week.
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Author: Eileen
Date: 2002-09-24 17:51
For those who are playing clarinet in small groups with primarily guitars, you might want to suggest that the guitar players transpose a step down instead of you transposing a step up. Given the relative ease with which a guitar player can transpose chords (especially with the assistance of a capo or, for the rock player, moveable barre chords), there seems no reason for the burden to be on the clarinet player to be always transposing a melody into difficult key signatures.
For example, no guitar player should have a major problem tranposing a I-IV-V pattern in E to a I-IV-V pattern in D. Then you can play the melody as written and the guitars are still in an easy key. Ditto for a piece in A transposed to G on guitar, a piece in D transposed to C, etc.
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Author: charlie coleman
Date: 2002-09-25 20:13
Seems like a hot post. A lot of church musicians out there. I relate strongly to Bob's posting. I play tenor sax, clarinet and occasionally soprano in our "praise" band which consists of lead guitar, bass, keyboard, drums and whatever axe fits best. We have done "Lord I Lift Your Name On High" a number of times, since we play every week. I have learned to play in D, E and A concert on the tenor, but the clarinet is a challenge. In desperation I aquired an old A albert system horn, but the fingering is a challenge also. Our church is small (approx 160), so we don't have a large pool of musicians. We have about 100 praise choruses and are working on more. This sunday (if you're interested) we will do "God of Wonders"; "Blessed be the name of the Lord"; "Open Up the Sky"; "Shout to the North"; "As the Deer"; "You Are My King"; and a couple of the old hymns. BTW I'm 70 years down the road, and it's a challenge to keep up with the youngsters. I like to surprise them with a couple of Bud Freeman licks :-)
Best wishes to all, and play for the glory of God. Charlie C.
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Author: Ted Droppa
Date: 2002-09-26 00:43
I play bass for the Church ensemble. I'm a guitar man by choice, but a man's gotta do what... Anyhow, it's pretty fun to be able to play with a group of folks regularly, even if most do have to play 'by the book'. Improv, while being a lot more fun, can also be pretty unkempt sometimes. Or maybe that's just me.
On the Guitar/flats thing, an easy thing to try (especially if you aren't inhibited by being able to read music), is to tune your guitar down a half-step to Eb. You have to transpose any notation, but if you play be ear, why not? Hendrix used to tune this way regularly, FYI. I don't think he played in Church much, but that's another topic.
I also used to play a 12-string tuned down to D in Church, which blended good with the other guys with their 6-strings up in E. They couldn't tell what I was playing most of the time, but it made a lot of the song fingerings easier, especially since a lot of the folky music is in D, G, or Eb. And it gave me a nice bottom end. Great for a big-bodied 12-string.
On "Lord of the Dance", I think Flatley took the name from the song, which is older.
Try to remember that in the Church, music is supposed to be an aid to worship, helping people draw near to God. If it's not helping to do that, maybe we should be doing something else.
Ted
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