Dear Band,
Please take sometime to read through these comments and jot them down on your score (whatever that that applies to you).
The link to the recording of 8 Jan's Combines is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8hbfSyYSg8
8 Jan 2015 Combines
Hermes:
- First 4 bars alright but after that rush
- Slowed down when played beginning again
- Beginning is not together!
- First 3 bars bassline slowing down a lot. Don’t play the notes so long
- Alto Sax and Horns, especially lower horns, don’t play the beginning too long
- Horn 4 must work on playing the beginning notes with confidence and louder
- Trumpets 1st and 2nd don’t play beginning notes too long
- Trumpets 2nd bar get louder on the lower notes
- Trumpets cut the note value of the first 3 notes slightly to give a light bounce
- Trumpets not following metronome after pick up note into Bar 3
- 3rd Clarinet (together with 2nd Trumpet) emphasize on the Concert Ab note at Bar 4
- Theme A (carried by Clarinets, Saxophones and Euphonium from Bar 5) must be played SOFTER and accompany play at piano volume
- Bar 13 is a little bit louder, mezzo forte NOT forte
- Bar 13 when flutes and trumpets enter, the band slows down, especially melody. DON’T.
- Accompaniment at Bar 21 SOFTER (Fluboes, Clarinets, Saxophones, Trumpets VS. Horns, Trombones, and Euphoniums)
- Melody at 21 play BRAVELY WITH COURAGE
- Theme A at Bar 13: Have a stronger pick up note (Concert F for 1st Trumpet, Clarinet, Fluboes, Concert C for 2nd Trumpet and Clarinet, Concert A for 3rd Trumpet and Clarinet all those) - Bar 36 DON’T RUSH JUST COS’ THERE’S A CRESCENDO, and your oxygen tank is deflating but still don’t rushhhh
- TRIO: Graceful and softly! Goodluck Trombones, Euphos and Horns
- Bar 38 can play a little louder so that the Trio can contrast in dynamics better
- Bar 39 2nd beat crotchet should be sustained longer
- Trio melody don’t slow down just because you’re playing softer
- Bar 45 the melody can afford to play a bit louder
- TIP: If you are to play soft, you must be able to hear the metronome; if you cannot means you’re too loud
- When winds enter at Bar 48 with the melody, don’t slow down!
- Bar 65 it’s not that much slow down; just a bit only– after that tempo is back to the same
- Bar 62 Trumpets can afford to come out a little more
- Bar 69: Do ya’ll see a FORTE. Yes, that’s a big drop from FORTISSIMO; so make sure you make the dynamic contrast
- Bar 82 DON’T SLOW DOWN; this bar onwards must drive forward CANNOT CANNOT slow down
- Bar 85 don’t slow down!
- The climax of Hermes is actually the ending
And Then The Ocean Glows:
- Beginning piccolo take your time
- Bar 9 tuning in the Euphonium is no good
- Bar 7 Concert Ab terribly out of tune, especially in the Clarinets
- Bar 3 LWWS holding note MUST be in tune perfectly
- Bar 11 onwards the whole melody (by Clarinets, Alto Sax, 1st Horn) is one phrase so NOT BREAKING/BREATHING so obviously in between
- At Bar 16, don’t cut off the long note; it must be sustained
- Bar 15 remember there is a crescendo
- Bar 19 Concert Ab in the Clarinets and Flute note tuned to each other
- Bar 38 3rd Clarinet entrance not together and not in tempo
- Bar 47 woodwinds with the 4 sets of semiquaver running notes tongue the first beat and air tongue the others so that you have a pulse
- Bar 52 2nd Clarinet don’t end the last Concert D quaver so short and abrupt
- Bar 61 woodwind running notes not clear and not together
- Bar 52 and 54 alike; 1st and 2nd Clarinets must work together to ensure the continuity of the running notes such as when at Bar 52 2nd Clarinet has the last quaver rest, 1st Clarinets must emphasise the last quaver so as to not let that last quaver beat sound “empty”
- Bar 71 Brasses it’s yo time to shine!
- Bar 71 melody (by Bassoon, Bass Clarinet, Baritone and Tenor Saxophone, Horns, Eupho and Tubass) NOT TOGETHER; yall tend to rush
- Bar 71 Timpani you need to tune your Concert F
- Bar73 Tuning between Trombones and Trumpets not good
- Bar 77 sound of the horn more than sound of the trumpet for good tone colour
- Bar 50 Woodwinds don’t intentionally decrescendo because when you go down the scale there will be a decrescendo already
- Bar 50 3rd Clarinet must come out especially the last Concert E and Eb
- Bar 64 2nd Clarinet must bring out the marcato; basically all the marcato must brought out by the Clarinets
- Bar 51 2nd Alto Sax nowhere to be found haha please play out to provide the countering of the 1st parts
- Bar 74 Concert Db not in tune; both sections flat
- Bar 80 make the crescendo more obvious
- Bar 85 all melody (Bassoon, Bass Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone, Trombone and Eupho) play softer
- Bar 93 melody is barely heard; more horn sound for better tone colour
- Bar 102 Trombones semiquavers not together
- Bar 103 Trumpets and Horns carrying melody have tendency to slow down because of holding Concert Gb in Bar 104 too long and then crotchets become delayed
- For flutes, Bar 120 is mp and Bar 121 is mf; have to show the contrast
- Bar 119 flutes sextuplets are not being played in the same style. One or two are playing them short and the rest are playing them long. STANDARDIZE
- Bar 133 2nd Alto Sax quaver pick up must be prominent as well as tons of phrases following that
- Bar 168 Trombone demisemiquavers not slurred well and not timed together
- Bar 169 Timpani don’t rush
- Bar 169 Fluboes, Clarinets, and Alto Saxophones don’t rush the running notes
- Bar 165 to 168 Trumpets yo’ time to shine
- Last 3 bars: exaggerate the piano much much much more
Love,
Exco
