Battle- short music piece for wind orchestra

@bryla

Unless, you know, as a guy who works with a full scale orchestra once in a while, you got more to offer ;)

Yeah I understand about the strings. It's more to do with the voices or instrument and how you double (or not) runs

@bryla

What's wrong about the way I double (or not) runs?

And I don't really have any runs here, if you mean the triplet arpeggios-

I don't want people to keep doing the same chord eight or more times in a row and want everyone to be engaged, 

so I split it between a few instruments.

You don't like my choice of instruments?

I noticed on another thread that you were still seeking comments on this piece.  Overall it's a good piece.  You have a lot of good ideas and for the most part you orchestrated quite well.

As has already been mentioned, wind band music involves more parts than what you have written for.  I've attached a score template that I would use for this ensemble to give you an idea of what we're talking about.  This band is advanced enough and large enough for this type of scoring.

That being said, when you look at the score, please note how the instruments are placed and bracketed.  Also note how many parts are getting written for.  This is a pretty standard layout for a group of this level.   A piece like this deserves to be presented professionally and properly.  Page one of your score (any ensemble for that matter) needs to include all the instruments needed.  It wasn't until the second page that I saw you had F Horns and even later for the harp and English Horn. ( If you have questions about this, I'd be happy to help.) Band scores are usually transposed except for rare instances.

Regarding the writing, don't get fooled by your midi rendering.  You have a great Eng. Horn solo written, but they are competing with a number of heavier instruments.  The poor player may not even be heard with the background you have.  Possibly thin it out to voices that are able to stay in the background.

I didn't see a harp player in the video (I didn't watch the whole thing).  Do they have a harpist?  If so, you need to rethink the harp part.  I don't think it's playable as written so check with the player to be sure. (I'm not a harpist and am still working on learning the ins and outs)

Bass Clarinet should be in treble clef (transposes down a ninth).

Something else to remember when writing for a band at this level, the difference in abilities between the first chair player and last chair could be quite extreme.  Looking at your trumpet part and listening to the video, I don't think the whole section could play the part as written due to the range.  Take advantage of the second and third part to fill the chord as well as putting the part in a range the lower chair players can handle.

Again, this is a nice work, just a bit of refining.  For a first effort at a larger ensemble, you did a great job.  

Hope this helps!

Tim

Thank you very much for the feedback :)

That's probably my biggest works,

or at least one of them,

and I'm trying to get a performance of it.

That's why I appreciate a feedback so much.

Let's see.

Having this layout will demand more voices.

I don't think that the piece should have any more voices,

it already has so many instruments playing it.

*Why did you put the Contrabass above the percussion?

I don't know how to separate them to groups like that (in Sibelius 7.5).

Thanks for pointing out that thing about the first page.

I wasn't sure about that, but now when you told me I'll fix it.

Yes, I feared that thing about the Eng Horn solo too.

I'll have the oboes help him.

Yes, I'm not that good with the harp neither.

They haven't accepted the piece yet,

but I've been informed by the Contrabass player that they might be able to get a harpist.

Bass clarinet can't always be written in treble.

The notes will go far out the staves.

I'll reupload the score as soon as I finish fixing these things so you can have another look.

Should I give the second and third trumpet the same voice an octave lower?

Thank you so much for your time :)

Eitan,

Have you ever played in a concert band?  I'm not trying to be a jerk, just trying to get a feel for where you're at.  

You feel there are to many voices, and in reality, there aren't enough.  The wind band has an incredible range of tonalities available.  Many more advanced pieces have even more than I suggested to you.

Bass over timpani because in band literature, that's just the way it's done.  Not a good answer, but it's what conductors expect to see.  Also, trumpets go over the horns and baritone goes under the T-bones.  (In the score, Baritone/Euphonium is written in bass clef.  You need to include a treble Bb part for the players as many are converted tpt. players)  Harp requires a grand staff, even if only playing treble notes.  The staff dictates the hands.

Don't ruin the English horn solo.  Change the background.  That can be a highlight of the piece and doubling will take that away.

Bass clarinet will sound as you have written, but the transposed part has to be in treble clef.  Clarinet players are used to reading ledger lines below the staff.  (In the first bar, the clarinets lowest note is an A.  They still have more room to go down.)  It's also one of the most intense registers for the clarinet family.

Don't think of using the 2nd and 3rd parts as octaves.  Use them to add depth to the chord.  The hit you have on beat 2 in the first measure (appears to be Cm7/Ab) I would keep Tpt. 1 on the G, and possibly C in Tpt. 2 and either G or Bb in Tpt. 3.  Nice open voicing with low G or tighter with the Bb.  Just an idea.  Same thoughts with the clarinets.

Hope this helps.

Tim

Don't call me by my private name please.

There's a reason I'm Rabbival.

Call me with this @Rabbival507.

Thanks.

No, I've never even seen a wind band in real life.

I live in a place where it's much more difficult to see an orchestra than in the world's big citys.

If I drive for more than half an hour in a specific day and hour I can pay to see a small orchestra that isn't a wind band.

That's just how it is,

so I'm trying to write for a wind band with my theoretical knowledge.

About the Eng Horn solo-

I don't have any other instruments that can play that Low.

I do want the other rhythms to go on in the background.

If I'll give the Tbns and Tbas a piano or pianissimo,

would the Eng Horn be heard?

My apologies, I meant no disrespect.  

For doing this from a theoretical stand, you've done a good job.  I truly believe the piece has a great deal of potential, which is why I'm trying to help.

Check these links out.  Hopefully they will give you an idea of what wind ensembles are capable of.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AgLeskIp40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTjZhYgJ-Bc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrPDguuxw7o

These are some standard wind pieces by various composers.

This link will take you to a site that contains recordings along with scores.  The band you are looking to get a performance with is probably a grade 3 1/2 to 4.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIyLgYYgaf2yqb5DnkOxu4Q/videos

Hopefully these will help you to see and hear the ensemble you have chosen.

As to the eng. horn, just be careful to not let them play anything that will interfere and over take the soloist.  Definitely pp.

As I said, I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just feel the piece is worth the effort.

Tim 

Thanks for the help.

Will check these all out in a moment.

Do you think I should give them some bigger runs to do?

Is it better now?