The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2005-06-10 13:37
David,
Ken Kolb, a frequent BB poster, was a member of that band. They really play very well.
HRL
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2005-06-10 15:00
WOW, what a great site!
Having played in the University of Michigan Marching Band many years ago under Dr. William D. Revelli, it was a thrill to hear the wonderful USAF Band play some of my old favorites.
Thanks,
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: archer1960
Date: 2005-06-10 15:05
I've got a CD of nothing but Sousa, but this site has ones I've never even heard of! Good stuff...
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Llewsrac
Date: 2005-06-10 15:11
Wounderful Marches. If a band can sit an sightread straight throw a selections of these marches, they can play a little bit.
A march is among the most challanging music, sightread a march a day and your band will always play.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ken
Date: 2005-06-10 20:21
The bulk of those Langley Band MP3s were converted from an all Sousa CD aptly entitled, "Sousa!" After the session some band members affectionately re-entitled it "[sick of] Sousa!!"
Here's 30 or so more freebies on the U.S. Air Force Band, Washington DC website (to include a concert march or two shoehorned in.) Good stuff Maynard! v/r Ken
http://www.usafband.com/recording_search.cfm?start=1&ensembleID=&styleID=3
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bigno16
Date: 2005-06-11 14:53
"His Honor" is far too slow. It's written in cut time, but should really be played in one. We did it in one at my All-State concert, it was a blast and even makes those who hate marches enjoy them.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2005-06-11 16:18
Bigno16,
The tempo on His Honor is about 132 - 136 beats per minutes which seems fine; what is your frame of reference for saying the march "is far too slow." Just because you played the march at a faster tempo does not necessarily mean that that tempo was correct. I'm not sure what you mean by "It's written in cut time, but should really be played in one." Please explain this.
A circus march (Barnum & Bailey) or a very stately march (Valdres) will have extremely different tempos (160+ compared to 90 bpm). IMHO, most traditional (non-concert) marches are usually performed at about 120. Thus His Honor at 132+ seems bright and pleasing to my ears and consistent with my experience as a player and also as a conductor.
Check out the tempos that the late Frederick Fennell used for marches that he recorded. I'd say that he was probably the expert on the genre.
HRL
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-06-11 17:17
Remember this one (was told to me by either Fennel or Hunsberger - I forget who):
"American March step tempo is among the slowest in the world. "
So as a march it would certainly be correct at their tempo. However there are showboat pieces as well as showboat conductors, so that would explain the faster tempi. Personally I like marches at a quicker tempo too, but just stating how the genre is.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Llewsrac
Date: 2005-06-11 18:09
Hank is 100% correct on Tempo markings. The 120 bpm is the gold standard for the vast array of military or Quasi-Military American Marches. Circus, and show marches somewhat faster.
Resently witness a high school band play "The White Rose" - Sousa when suddenly the young band director went to light speed for the final strain. One big urgly smear of sound.
A great deal of todays young directors lack a solid histortial understanding of the march structure, tempo, and purpose. Seek out original recordings of Sousa, Goldman. Fillmore, Study the scores with the recordings.
A march played correctly "should make a man with a wooden leg get up and march"
The great war horses of orchestral transcriptions seem to fall into this abandoned, mis-understood. and poorly played literature. Contemporary music will always be with use, amd history will always have a back shelve for it, right next to Sponge Bob's Symphony No.! But at last, the "GRAND OLD SOUND" is fading from memory.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-06-11 19:01
Hey, one of the pirates in the "sponge bob movie" is a musician who I had promoted.
Crappy movie though....
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bigno16
Date: 2005-06-11 21:53
Hank,
The conductor of the All-State Band was Dr. Steven Grimo, a Lieutenant Colonel serving for the USAF Bands and Music Branch as a Band Commander for the USAF Band of Mid-America, stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
The tempo on the Frederick Fennell edition of "His Honor" is half note=ca. 144-152. But Dr. Grimo informed us that we were going to play the march in one, rather than cut time. It was back in March, so I can't recall his exact words and explanation, but "His Honor" has been known for 'exhibiting unexpected melodic and rhythmic changes, reflective of a spirited and colorful bandsman'--our recording exhibits all these aspects to their greatest potential. If you or any one else would like to hear the performance, then I will gladly e-mail you a recording of it. After hearing that change (as well as a few others), I think you'd agree with Dr. Grimo in saying that Fillmore wanted his march played this way.
By the way, the great and well-known Dr. Malcolm W. Rowell, Jr (whose conducting style has been influenced by Walter Beeler, Dr. Frederick Fennell and H. Robert Reynolds) also agrees that "His Honor" should be played in one.
Post Edited (2005-06-11 21:57)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2005-06-12 02:21
Bigno16...
If in cut time you are at half note = 144 beats per minute, and you decide, rather, to take it in one, you will be at 72 beats per minute.
Same thing...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bigno16
Date: 2005-06-12 04:57
Actually, we took it around 92 beats per minute for one measure.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2005-06-13 02:56
Blumberg ... thanks, fabulous stuff. My iPod has a whole new soul, now.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2005-06-14 05:51
Here is a link to the Royal Australian Navy's band ... the performances are not so numerous, and the music is much more "Aussie" ... enjoy. Also includes PDFs of some scores (they abviously use Finale).
http://www.navy.gov.au/ranband/audio.htm
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2005-06-14 11:52
Diz,
A wonderful site and it is very nice to include an AU band. Waltzing Matilda and Eternal Father play well in any "language."
Maybe others in several countries will include links to recordings of service as well as civilian bands. I know the link I included in another thread for bands in the world has many broken ones, there are probably bands that are missing so any updates are appreaciated.
Here is that link again.
http://www.harrogate.co.uk/harrogate-band/link04.htm
HRL
Post Edited (2005-06-14 11:56)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2005-06-14 22:15
Hank - that's a good resource, thanks to you.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
|