Christmas song

[falcon1]

Hi all, I did a short arrangement of well known (in Iceland) children christmas song - it\'s for Marching band, however, I didn\'t have any sax or bariton so they are missing in the arrangement.

Here it\'s: Christmas song (\"http://www.falcon-creations.com/mp3/Iskoginumstodkofi_mp3.mp3\")

Enjoy!

Ps. comments etc. are appreciated! images/icons/wink.gif

[unison]

Hi falcon

I think you could improve the orchestration slightly in terms of clarity of the melodic line(s).
I mean, theres a lot going on in the middle voices and it gives a nice impression of movement etc. but the melody is somewhat drowning in the middle register, specially in the first \"B\"-section.
If I was to do this song (that we by the way sing in Denmark too images/icons/smile.gif ) I would start out much more simple, just 3 og 4 instruments, and then expand the whole thing both in register and poliphony-wise.
I think your reverb is a bit out of control too, far too wet. It sounds like the perc. is playing in a hall behind the main one and only audible through a door or something.. images/icons/wink.gif

I never wrote for marching band myself though, but I would recommend searching out some stronger doublings for the melody as a first priority, and maybe look at some mixing down of accompagnying voices.. Just my two øre..

[falcon1]

hi unison, thanks for the comments.

I\'ll hear it played live next monday so then I can hear it more accuratly if the melody doesn\'t come through.

In the 1st B-section (starting at 0:14 to 0:20) the melody is played by Fl.1 + Tpt.1 (8va lower) against the middle voices played by the horns. So it should come through in live situation, I think.

[Thomas_J]

Falcon,

I know marching bands all too well. I served in the army as a trumpet player and we played so much crappy band music that it was almost unbearable at times. The most ridiculous things are of course when they attempt to take on a symphony in the scale of R.Strauss or Mahler. It\'s as if they all wish they were musicians in a symphony orchestra rather than an Ompah-band. Regardless I find your piece to bring back nice memories, and it\'s definitely true to the marching band style images/icons/smile.gif The arrangement is good (although I\'ve never heard the song before!), but what struck me was the samples. Pretty bad samples you\'re using here! Buy yourself something new for x-mas! images/icons/smile.gif
00:18+ has a terrible lagging effect from the suction of the samples and dates back to the days of miroslav (but even at that time you could easily cure the problem by layering some staccs on top of the sustains) - also around that passage there\'s a big \"BONK\" that sounds like someone in the background is playing basketball, hehe images/icons/smile.gif Seriously, though, that bassdrum seemed rather malplaced. Perhaps save it for sometime near the end. At 00:25 there\'s something wrong with the harmonic content. The string-bass and tuba (?) should (imo) not be playing D-Bb-Eb as it sounds rather sketchy.
I can\'t hear any bassoons, they could help the nice clarinet figure you have, which I btw would make half the tempo to avoid too much repetition of that material. The piccolo flute counter melody is effective, but just when it\'s starting to get interesting you break it all off into a short pause followed by a rather uninspired ending (surely you can come up with something more interesting than a major chord images/icons/smile.gif Woops that was a lot of critisism but perhaps you hear the same things I do after listening to the piece.

Now go and print out the parts and get your local marching band perform it. Record it and post it here images/icons/smile.gif


Thomas

[Haydn]

Bassoons in a marching band? I don\'t think I\'ve ever seen one before at least in the US.

[Thomas_J]

Hehe, not if they are actually marching - but we had 3 bassoon players in the army band. Perhaps that\'s why I didn\'t think twice about that images/icons/smile.gif


Thomas

[unison]

Falcon, could you post the instrumentation used in your piece?
I am curious to hear the result, hope you get a recording!
Will you conduct it your self?

[falcon1]

Hi Thomas, thanks for the comments.

Hehehhe... I agree that it\'s rather ridiculous to hear when the band tries to play music symphony orchestra.

Well, the samples isn\'t VSL or EWQLSO but it\'s much better than I was used to, and fit into my small sample budget. Hmm... I was going to give me midi controller but... images/icons/grin.gif

The bassdrum serve as an emphasis on the text.

The bassoons double the tuba and the trombones 2+3, but it could be interesting to let them double the clarinet figure. Will try that!

Well, this was done in hurry (few hours) and I\'ll fix the end this weekend - which was temporary end.
Of course I\'ll post the \"fixed\" version asap. images/icons/wink.gif

Again thanks for your comments!

[falcon1]

Sure unison...

Piccolo
Flute 1 + 2
Oboe
Clarinet in Bb 1
Clarinet in Bb 2 + 3
Bass Clarinet
Alto Sax 1 + 2 (Not included in the mp3, don\'t have Alto Sax sample)
Tenor Sax (Not included in the mp3, don\'t have Tenor Sax sample)
Baritone Sax (Not included in the mp3, don\'t have Baritone Sax sample)
Bassoon
Trumpet in Bb 1
Trumpet in Bb 2 + 3
Horn in F 1 + 2
Horn in F 3 + 4 (always in unis.)
Trombone 1
Trombone 2 + 3
Baritone (Not included in the mp3, don\'t have baritone sample)
Tuba
Timpani
Cymbals
Snare Drum
Bass Drum

Well, on monday is just the practice - however, it\'s possible that it will be played in concert. Fingers crossed! Not sure that recording is possible, unless I\'ll do it myself - but I just own a cheap one, don\'t know if that\'s better than nothing.
Maybe I\'ll conduct, if played in concert - if not, the band conductor will do it.

[falcon1]

Thanks sporter. Yea, I know that feeling - you hear a tune but doesn\'t quite manage to put a name on it. images/icons/grin.gif

Anyway, there are more arrangements coming soon. I plan to put here, before christmas, new arrangements of \"O, come all ye faithful\", \"Silent night\" and maybe other well known christmas songs.

[sporter]

I always like your style, Falcon...you always have an open, out doors kind of sound, if that makes any sense..

That tune is so familiar...almost \"Jiimy cracked corn\"...but I can\'t place it.

Good job.