Count Down to First Concert

For those of you who find these things helpful here they are. Counting this evening we have five rehearsals left before the concert on Sunday afternoon December the 5 th at the Steele Recital Hall at UPEI. Here is my rehearsal schedule for the next five weeks.

November 2 – run through Capriol Suite, work on the 2nd movement. I said last week that we would also work on Path of Glory but I am leaving that for a week so that you could go over the practice notes.
Nov. 9- Work on Paths of Glory
November 16- Christmas Swings
November 23- Review- Autumn Colours, Christmas Swings
November 30 Review- Capriol Suite, Paths of Glory.

I have not read these notes so they are probably full of typos sorry about that but unless there is a glaring error so nod wisely and congratulate yourself on being able to look at the screen while you type instead of looking at your fingers.

Rehearsal Notes Paths of Glory

Bars 1- 4- Introduction. Full Band , forte, melody in the Flutes Clarinets Alto saxes and trumpets. Other voices do not overpower the melody. Crash cymbals in bar one must be heard. First note is choked - the second let ring.

Bars 5- 13- Upper woodwinds and alto saxes have the melody, it should be light and detached watch the articulations especially the two note slurs in bars 6 and 10. Tuba and percussion are the only accompaniment so make sure that your presence is there but you must stay below the melody. Tuba bring out the in bar eight and match the melody for volume in bar 11 and 12.

Bars 13- 21- The brass and saxes take the same thematic material as the woodwinds had at 5. The difference is that it is very legato so be very careful with the phrasing. Trombones, baritones and tubas are all part of the chordal support for the melody make sure that you are only mf in volume. Horns you are a combination of melody and accompaniment so you don’t get to lock into copy anyone group of instruments for long. Horns , trombones, baritones watch the dotted rhythms in bars 15 and17.

Bars 21-29- Here is a new theme played in the Flutes, oboe, 1st clarinet and the trumpets. The volume is forte so play with lots of air support but don’t push it. Everybody watch the articulation through this section the first two bars are separated and then we have three two bar legato phrases.

Bars 29- 37- This section begins like the intro played a fourth higher, the melody has a tie going between bar 30 and thirty one. You will note there is an accent on this tie so bring it out and crescendo into the first beat of the next bar.Leading into bar 33 the melody begins a transition into the new section at 42. There is a five note sequence in the Flutes, Oboe, Clarinets alto’s tenors, 1st trumpets and bells that appears at 32, this sequence is repeated three times with the articulation being different each time, please practice this so that you can emphasize the differences.

Bars 38 to 42- this is a beautiful section of ½ note chords leading us into bar 42. Watch out for the accidentals please.

Bar 42-52 This trio section introduces a new melody to be played delicately by the clarinets and alto saxes. The only support for the melody is the tuba so just like in bar 5 be like a politicians partner, supportive but don’t draw attention to yourself. Watch the ties in the melody there are not accents on them so don’t treat them the same way that you did in bar 30. Articulation once again is very important.

Bar 52- 62 This section repeats the melody (with a one note difference) with the full band at MF. The melody this time is very legato. Remember that whenever you have repeated notes within a slur marking that you have to lightly tongue the second note otherwise it would just sound like a ½ note.

Bar 62- 70- Oh! Oh watch this part. Flutes, oboe and first clarinet have new light little melody. Second clarinets you are their only support so bring out the part. Perhaps someone could play the bass clarinet part down one octave to provide more support. WATCH OUT FOR ACCIDENTALS.

Bar 70 – 87 – Is a repetition of bar 21- 38 just played with more definition. ***** Remember we are stopping with the first note in bar 87

This is a fairly straight forward piece of music which becomes interesting by emphasizing the differences in the various sections. The tempo should be fairly bright so you have to get all of those little eighth note sections under your fingers.

Allie