Clarinet Choir - Adventure by a Novice

Gandalfe

Gandalfe

Striving to play the changes in a melodic way.
Staff member
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I started a clarinet choir for our community band and we met for the first time this weekend. Before I post my learnings can anyone guess what went wrong based on this email I sent the fledgling group:

Greetings Team Clarinet,

Here are the practices for the next three months. They are all Saturdays from 12:30 to 2:00 PM at Casa du Glassa.
  • Jan 16 (Hand out music, read through the charts, select most likely charts for set list)
  • Feb 13
  • Mar 13
  • Mar 27 (if necessary and pending approval by choir members)
All two (or three) gigs will be on the weekend of 10 & 11 April in Redmond. Since the first weekend in April is Easter weekend there will not be an April practice. We could have another practice in March if we really thought we would need it. Please let me know if that works for you.

Clarinet Choir Roster (draft please confirm so we can prepare the music folders for next week.):

- Soprano - Tammy
- Soprano - Val
- Soprano - Teresa
- Alto - Suzy
- Bass - Karen (?)
- Bass - JaAG
- Contra Alto - Charlie
- Contra Bass - Greg

Setlist (draft, will pick 3 or 4, Val might have more titles):
  • Tocatta and Fugue
  • Puttin' on the Ritz
  • "Air" from Suite No. 3 in D (Bach)
  • Gypsy Dance from "Carmen"
  • Allegro Rococo
  • Music of the Night
  • Ja Da
 
Gandalfe said:
I started a clarinet choir for our community band and we met for the first time this weekend. Before I post my learnings can anyone guess what went wrong based on this email I sent the fledgling group:
<snip email>
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How would I know? You suppressed the Footer line where you thank everyone for being part of this Really Great Experience, you failed to mention whether beer and other beverages will available pre/during/post practicing, you spelled "Toccata" wrong, you might have forgotten to invite a member or spelled his/her name wrong, you forgot that Jan 16 was your wedding anniversary, you didn't supply Youtube links to the pieces, ...

So much can go wrong. Actually, something will always go wrong. Groups are so difficult to manage, err, accomodate and appease. ;-)
 
Okay, the polling has closed. This group was bass heavy to the extreme! I guess the suggested ratio should be three sops for every bass/contra clarinet. We couldn't play quiet enough. So the group is now: 4 sops, 1 alto, 1 bass, and 1 contrabass clarinet.

It will be interesting to see what happens at the next rehearsal. Suzy's on sop, the contra alto guy is on alto, and one of the bass clarinetists was cut loose. There will be some clarinet quartet stuff done too with 4 sops or 3 sops/1 bass clarinet.

Geesh, who knew? Not me obviously. It took me three years to get the clarinet section to agree to try to do this. It was so much easier with the sax quartet and choir.

SteveSklar said:
how many forgot to bring their owns music stands? And who was 1st, 2nd, 3rd soprano? Sometimes that could cause a fit for players.
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I provided all the stands, chairs, tuners, click tracks in the Casa du Glassa music studio. I also provided five of the clarinets; sop, alto, bass, contra alto, & contrabass. The players never argued about who had what part. We have been so lucky in that regard for both the clarinet and sax groups.
 
Gandalfe said:
We couldn't play quiet enough.
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Handing out sheet music usuall helps. :emoji_rage:
Seriously - what bassist is this who can't play a cultivated pp? Hint: suggest double-lip embouchure for those who stand out, volume-wise. It makes a world of a difference. One can hear oneself so much better. (I always switch when I should set the sound carpet for the flutes or so...)
 
Is it even possible to read music on the contra while playing FF down low? I never could.
 
In one of the college bands I play in I am the 2nd section (by design of the conductor) !!

Last semester I played my R13 and my eyes were popping out half the time to balance. This semester I brought my Selmer CT ... ahh ... much easier now to balance. Equipment selection goes along ways .... :emoji_rage:
 
bobsax said:
If it was sax players I'd think this would be an issue.
So do clarinet players not drink beer?
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Close Bob, so close. The five bottom clarinets were played by sax players. Did I mention we had a heck of a time getting enough clarinets to participate. In the sax choir we have to chase away the extras with a broom.

Regarding beer, it's available in spades but most of these people have a long way to drive home. So goes it eh?
 
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