Pomp & Circumstance

[Chadtuba]

I'm graduating tomorrow with my MM in instrumental conducting, but I will play with band as well rather than march in with everybody else, then take my turn to to walk across the stage and receive my diploma-less certificate holder when my name is called. In the meantime, as we prepped the music the last couple of rehearsals it donned on me that in 23 years of playing the tuba & euphonium, with goodness only knows how many graduation ceremonies, this will be the first time I have not played the tuba at graduation. I do not have to sit there and play the endless quarter notes necessary for 1200+ graduating students to march in. I'm not saying the euphonium part is super great, but it's not all quarter notes and I get to take a break for a few phrases every time we take the written in repeat.

[TubaRay]

Playing the tuba part is an endurance test. Even more so with most brass quintet arrangements.

[TubaRay]

By the way: Congratulations!

[Conn 2J CC]

I always hated playing the endless quarter notes you're referring to in "Pomp and Circumstance", especially the Ployhar arrangement almost every school band owns. So, while I was a band director, I wrote an arrangement of the song where the big horns had the melody for the first half and the little horns had the quarter notes. It was sort of a low brass man's version of revenge. In the second half, they switched. At first the little horns hated it, but eventually even they had to agree it beat listening to snoring in the back rows.