TubeNet

The little chart set the SA uses has all those holiday tunes & more.

DDG

Yep, Klaus is amazing. He did that once for me too, a wonderful arrangement of "Lo He Comes with Clouds Descending," with plenty of interesting work for the low brass to do. Unfortunately the music director at the church used some poor musical judgment that didn't properly respect what Klaus had accomplished with such effort, so that was disappointing. But I really appreciated his intelligent and focused effort with the music. I am watching for another opportunity to do it right.

The process about the setting of Joy to the World has been very efficient.

Working with Michael a couple of years ago was pleasant, but ended in a disaster performance, because I had no direct line to the choirmaster and organist married couple. The setting was constructed so that the three entities of SATB-choir, brass 5-tet, and organ could do a performance each on their own, only a combined performance would be richer and less exhausting especially for the brass. The setting had a build up towards the last verse, which the organist however cut out, because the hadn’t practiced his part. He could have limited himself to playing the tune, the brass would have done the difficult elements. I had told so in general terms, but wasn’t noticed in time that there was a problem.

Dave works with a choirmaster, Ms. Sally Smith. The three of us have mailed with CC’s to all, so that we knew what was going on. The tune, Joy to the World, is close to the tonalities of the natural horn and natural trumpets. The latter beg for timpani, so I had it my way with augmenting the group to 4 trumpets. 4 horns, 4 trombones, tuba, and timpani. I could have had 4 timpani, but went with 2, as 4 would not have been in the style of the tune.

I wanted to split the choir in subsections in one verse, but Sally wasn’t happy about splitting the relatively small T&B sections, so I shuffled the options of collaboration between female and male voices. Fortunately Sally liked the way the altos became favoured in the end result.

I also have avoided taking the horns to extreme high notes (without sacrificing true 4-tet writing for them), whereas the bass trombone and the tuba have met no mercy in the low range. The report from the first reading foresees some woodshedding for these two gentlemen.

Sally told that the audience was likely to sing along out of nostalgia towards the Christmas of their childhood. My setting would not blend well with an extra unison choir, so I suggested incorporating the audience in a planned fashion. Normally I would have built up to the last choir verse, but here that verse is less monstrous. And it leads directly to an epilogue, where part of the prelude leads to a repeat of the first verse sung in unison by choir and the audience. Their pitch and rhythm is supported by 3 trumpets, 2 horns, and a trombone doubling on the tune. Even the timpani play the melody rhythm in accented rolls. The 1st trumpet, 1st horn, and 1st trombone play a high counterpoint line in octaves. The 4th horn, 2nd trombone, bassbone, and tuba play a low counterpoint line divided in 2 or 3 octave levels. The choir and ensemble end the setting with a very brief statement referring to the message of this carol as well to the somewhat apocryphal reports on the origins of the tune.

The project is completed but for the leaflet with the music & words for the audience. I have made the draft which will be discussed with Sally and Dave.

The parts (with alternative versions) allow for band, orchestra, and brass band reading traditions. The tuba has to be a contrabass with at least 4 valves. The part comes in bass clef concert and in BBb treble clef.

All available for free via the link that Dave provided up this page.

Klaus

imperialbari wrote:The process about the setting of Joy to the World has been very efficient.

Working with Michael a couple of years ago was pleasant, but ended in a disaster performance, because I had no direct line to the choirmaster and organist married couple.

I wish I had thought of that. It seems obvious in hindsight.

Thank you, Klaus. I downloaded the whole thing, but I was not able to access (or find) the Baritone-Euph parts in TC-BC. Will that hurt the ensemble?

Best regards,

Jim

As soon as valves are involved the sloppiness of pedal notes on the contrabass tubas tends to increase, so I haven’t used anything lower than Bb, which is an open note on Dave’s tuba. The part is playable without limitations on CC tubas that have valves enough for the low D, but my thinking of course is marked by BBb being my own choice of pitch for contrabass tubas.

As for parts for euphonium or baritone there are some considerations.

Dave’s ensemble (as told above) on my request was increased by 2 horn and timpani to be

4 trumpets
4 horns
4 trombones
tuba
timpani

The brass choir of my preference also would have a euphonium, but I didn’t need the tenor range of the euph in this setting, because it tends to out-power the voices. And getting an ensemble together in Juneau for Christmas concerts already is a challenge because many of the potential players go to other parts of the US to visit family for the holiday. In short: I didn’t write a euphonium part per se for this setting. There is a treble clef Bb part, however, but it is in the folder with horn parts, where it is masked as a 4th horn transposed for horn in Bb basso. The background is about Dave initially not being sure he could man a full horn quartet. But as I understand Dave, he now has his horn quartet full, because the 1st horn pulled some strings after seeing my quartet writing in drafts of the score.

This setting is written very precisely on the available instruments. Getting the score clean and readable is a time consuming task so I am not too eager to add a staff in the score. Yet I know how I would use a euph without it getting in the way of the bass trombone. In some ways the part would be close to those of the tenor trombones. I will see what I can do and then come back here.

Klaus

Just finished the optional euphonium part and uploaded it in the Tenor and Bass Clefs Concert plus in Bb Treble Clef.

It doesn’t steal the sweet spots from any of the other instruments, but still takes part in the soli for bassbone, tuba, and timpani. It acts as light tuba below the horn quartet and boosts the melody support for the audience singing along in the Epilogue. The part is good enough to be in the score. If I ever get to do that revision the addition (Optional) will be removed from the part name.

The brass line-up isn’t really a band, even if some European countries have had military bands that small. Yet the term of band has been used in the communications with TN members. The context was a never ending need for new Christmas music.

Of course this setting is for Brass Choir and SATB vocals. Yet I see a reasonably easy way to make a band version by simply considering the woodwinds as being the choir. Oboe and English horn on SA, 3 part clarinets on SAT, alto clarinet on T, bass clarinet on B, saxes on SATB, and bassoons on TB. The flutes (no piccolos) could play the SAT lines an octave up.

The SATB vocal solo quartet could be set for Oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, and bassoon.

Noise percussion would be out, but tuned percussion could join the SATB lines, if provided the right octave transpositions.

Klaus

My quintet uses the Jack Gale arrangement from his book of Christmas Carols. It's in C major and matches up perfectly with the key the choir for our Christmas gig uses. It's (like all of Jack Gale's stuff) a great arrangement and works very well.

Just my $0.02.

Roger

imperialbari wrote:Just finished the optional euphonium part and uploaded it in the Tenor and Bass Clefs Concert plus in Bb Treble Clef.

I
Klaus

I again, thank you. I now have all I need or could need to pull this off, very well.

Jim

First a remark called for by communication around this setting.

It is a setting for choir and soloists with brass accompaniment, so the the audibility of the vocalists has been a main consideration behind the orchestration. The trombone parts are trombone parts, not euphonium parts, as one or more euphoniums used in the standard (tenor) range of the instrument, would make it very hard especially for the male vocalists to have their text understood. If too few trombonists, give the euphonium players valve trombones for the trombone parts.

The original score without a euphonium part added still is available. And now there also is a score including the euphonium part. The process of adding the euphonium part to the score made me realise that a few notes, 7 Bb’s to be exact, had to be displaced by an octave. I had made the first version from ideas about which section the euph should play with. Placing the part in the full context of the score revealed that a few choices of octave could be optimized.

The scores including song sheet for the audience:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Yo ... l%20Score/

Euphonium part in various clefs:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Yo ... Euphonium/

Klaus

This project has taken a turn or two along the route, but I think it is completed by now after I wrote this preface:

Joy to the World
For brass choir, timpani, and SATB vocals (choir & soloists) plus the audience

Composed and set by Handel & Lowell Mason - 1839
Words after Psalm 98 by Isaac Watts 1719
Arranged 2012 by Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre
This Christmas Carol is among the most popular ones in North America today, so the somewhat apocryphal reports on its origins matter very little. This arrangement was made to meet a request for a setting for an SATB pickup choir and a specified list of 11 brasses: 4 trumpets, 2 horns, 4 trombones, and tuba.

The tonality of this fine tune made me think of natural trumpets and horns. The former beg for timpani to lay the bass below their fanfares, the latter bring out their best when written in a quartet setting. Hence the planned for ensemble was augmented by 2 horns and by timpani in Eb & Bb. My interpretation of this carol is that of a triumphal march played in a steady tempo with no deviations at all.

The vocalists form the core of the setting. The process revealed the presence of 4 vocal soloists. The male voice groups were assumed being too small to be divided in subsections. The audience was assumed to sing along out of nostalgia, which made me suggest the audience rather being integrated in the performance in a planned for fashion. The resulting musical form is as follows:

16 bars of prelude by the ensemble.
1st verse sung by the choir in a 4-part setting very close to that of Mason. Accompaniment by subsections of the ensemble.
8 bars of interlude by the ensemble.
2nd verse sung by various subsections of the choir. Very light accompaniment by the ensemble.
4 bars of interlude by the ensemble.
3rd verse is sung in an embellished version by SATB-soloists. Transparent accompaniment by the trumpets and the timpani. This verse expresses relief, so the trombones have a few very relaxed interjections. The tuba pulls a pun of the bass soloist entirely to the ground.
4th verse is very close to the 1st verse only the male voices have some rhythmic redistributions of their text.
The Epilogue opens with the first 8 bars of the prelude, which lead to the choir and the audience singing the 1st verse in unison supported by 6 or 7 of the brasses. 1st trumpet, 1st horn, and 1st trombone play an upper counterpoint line in octaves. 4th horn, 2nd trombone, bass trombone, and tuba play a lower counterpoint line split in 2 or 3 octave layers. The purpose of the counterpoint lines is all about adding rhythmic energy to the melody.

The audience is waved off after one beat of the last note of the verse. The choir and ensemble continue in tempo issuing a brief statement, which at the same time sums up the carol and refers to one of the apocryphal elements of its origins.

Considering the audibility of the vocalists as the main guidance for the orchestration, I did not ask for a euphonium being part of the ensemble. This noble and beautiful brass instrument tends to overshadow most vocal efforts. Hence it is most important that the trombone parts are played on trombones, not on one or more euphoniums. If not enough trombonists are available, give the euphonium player(-s) valve trombone(-s) for these parts.

However the euphonium entered through the back entrance anyway. When I first announced parts and score being available, there was a request for a euphonium part. As I stand by the above views, the resulting euphonium part best may be described as a light tuba part, which is very low for the instrument, but should pose no problems for a modern compensated instrument with a trigger function. At least in one instance the euphonium goes lower than the tuba. The reason is the euphonium at this spot being used as a super low horn doubling the 4th horn in the octave. Only in the Epilogue verse, where everything is about supporting the singing of the audience, the euphonium is having a go on the melody.

This adding of the euphonium has lead to two scores: the original one and the augmented one with the ‘14 brass’ designation. But for the euphonium part and a few graphical matters these scores are identical. Readability has been a main consideration, so the horns are written in Eb and the tenor trombones in tenor clef. This approach keeps most notes in the staff.

The trumpets and horns emulating natural instruments lead to some out-of-scale Db’s (concert pitch). These notes are planned for and should not be played in a subdued fashion. The trumpets act as modern instruments from bar #116 and the horns do so from the next bar.

The horn parts are provided in F and Eb transpositions. The tenor trombone and euphonium parts come in tenor and bass clef concert plus in Bb treble clef. The part for contrabass tuba comes in bass clef concert and BBb treble clef. That BBb tuba part and the 4th horn part being provided in Bb basso allow for a performance with brass band style brasses, where 3 Eb alto horns and a Bb baritone would form the horn section.

The choir and the soloists share the vocal score. There is a song sheet for the audience, which may sing in the soprano, tenor or bass octaves after their liking.

Korsør - November 1st - 2012
Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre Bassbone Music
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/YorkMasterBBb/

With the trumpets and with the tenor trombones the internal hierarchy of proficiency most often goes with the chair. With horns there are more factors to consider, as especially with amateurs some are good at playing the high range and some are good at the low range. In my experience more amateurs strive to play high and give away their low range by using smallish mouthpieces.

In this setting I need 3 horns playing up in the upper midrange and 1 playing quite low, the 4th horn. In the epilogue there is one horn on the upper counterpoint line, the 1st horn. There also is one horn on the quite agile lower counterpoint line. In an orchestral horn section I would have given that line to the 2nd horn. Here I gave it to the player already working in the low range, the 4th horn. But that may not be right in all ensembles. With the music available in pdf format, it is easy to print extra parts allowing for part shuffling for certain passages.

Klaus

The matter of arranging and setting for brass formally is slightly OT for this forum, yet it may have consequences for the playing options of tubists.

I once outed the opinion of a good bass drum player being of great relief for the tuba sections in bands. Not a very original opinion, as another TubeNetter referred that the bass drummer had the highest pay in Sousa’s band.

I am not going to use a bass drum in my settings of church related music, but I like to use timpani in a somewhat similar function. Yet there I am less than well informed about the availability of the very instruments in the contexts from where the brass players for brass choirs are recruited: community orchestras and bands, schools, colleges, and more.

I guess most groups would have access to two non-pedal timps that could be roughly pre-tuned to, say Eb & Bb, before a concert and then have a touch-up on the tuning just prior to an actual piece being played.

But would 4 timps, preferably at least two of them being pedal tuned, be generally available?

Klaus, sketching out a revision of an older project

Best one:

http://artofsoundmusic.com/index.php?ma ... cts_id=545" target="_blank

My setting for SATB vocals and brass choir has been presented above here. As the lines below here will tell, I have worked in small communities and churches, where adaption of music often was the only way to establish performances, so I have made a number of instrumental versions of the vocal score allowing for substitution or the support of the vocalists. The introduction says:

Joy to the World
For brass choir, timpani, and SATB vocals (choir & soloists) plus the audience

Composed and set by Handel & Lowell Mason - 1839
Words after Psalm 98 by Isaac Watts 1719
Arranged 2012 by Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

About the instrument versions of the vocal score:
As you may read from the preface my musical intentions are represented by the score and the comments in the preface. However much of my playing and teaching took place in environments where every imaginable musical constellation could not be established. So much of my writing back then as well as now was and is about making music possible after the Danish saying: De forhåndenværende søms princip (The principle of building with the nails available).

If an orchestra or a concert band has a brass section forming a brass choir wanting to play this setting, but there is no choir available or the choir available is too small, these instrumental versions of the vocal score my become useful. Also if a college or similar school wants to join all vocal and instrumental forces in a not too complicated or long Christmas manifestation. These scores have been transposed accordingly and the lyrics have been erased yet they clearly started out as vocal scores, where the dynamics are over the staves. Only where graphical overlaps called for corrections the dynamics have been placed traditionally.

Depending on local options these scores may be used to fill the male voice lines, if the soprano and alto lines are sung by children’s, girls’, boys’, or ladies’ choirs.

There are some decisions to be taken by the musical director about the distribution of players on the SATB lines, the divisi in the 2nd verse, and the soloists in the 3rd verse. The latter should balance and blend well, and in general should all be in the 8’-octave. This excludes flutes. If no other bass soloists are available, then a lightly playing tuba may be used. Some of the tuba line in this verse has been moved from the 16’-range to the 8’-range. It may be a guideline that my ears imagine 3 Bb clarinets and a bass clarinet or oboe, English horn, clarinet, and bassoon as the main options for soloists.

Flutes have their own score, where the SAT-lines are played octave up. Less experienced players may play the soprano line loco.

Oboes may play the SA lines from the string score. English horn may read from the Score in F

Bb Clarinets have their own score along with Bass Clarinets. Eb and Alto Clarinets may read from the Eb Saxophone score.

Bassoons may read from the Low Brass score.

Brasses not employed in the Brass Choir may, with discretion, play from the various scores applying for their ways of reading.

Strings may play from their dedicated score.

Mallet percussion may find relevant parts in the Flute or String scores.

Korsør - November 30th - 2012

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre Bassbone Music

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/YorkMasterBBb/