Concert Band charts

[jicetp]

Hi everyone,

What charts would you recommend given these conditions :

- brass oriented
- woodwinds parts relatively easy

thanks for your ideas

JiCe

[RandyTX]

That describes a huge number of concert band pieces.

I think you might want to be more specific as to style and program needs. Also, just how 'easy' do the woodwind parts need to be?

Something around a 'grade 3' on most retailer listings probably would fit, but it's hard to know from what you've posted so far.
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[kehaulani]

Yes, and he says "brass oriented" but that doesn't necessarily imply that their parts are any more difficult for them than "woodwinds parts relatively easy" .

OP - are you looking for music that is brass oriented, but not more difficult than the woodwinds, or do you actually mean that there's a disparity between the two groups?
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[jicetp]

Sorry I could have been more specific

Indeed the Brass Section is more advanced than the Woodwinds.

I guess WW could be tagged as Grade 3.

As for style, it's exactely what thispost was aimed for.

Discover many styles, aesthetics....

I probably should browse the web, but I know my fellow trumpeters would help and send good advices

thanks

[dstdenis]

That's an interesting problem. Does this band perform concerts, or is it mostly a rehearsal band? If there are performances to play, then you'll also need to think about what your audiences would like to hear.

For example, there are many concert band arrangements that feature highlights from Broadway shows. Warren Barker did a lot of these, for instance. I don't remember the woodwind parts sounding very difficult. But if neither the band nor the audiences are interested in Broadway tunes, not much help.

Movie soundtrack highlights might be another possibility, although these can be more challenging to play, depending on the arranger. They probably have wider appeal than broadway tunes, although it depends on the audience.

I'd say marches are out. My sense is that they require strong, agile playing from the woodwinds. You'd probably have to select easy marches in this category. This is a shame, because the most popular marches are fun to play and can be great crowd pleasers when played well.

Then there are tunes in the contest piece category and orchestral transcriptions, which are often band-pleasers (but not always crowd-pleasers!). Woodwind parts are generally difficult, so you'd have to choose pieces that are easy for the whole band.

You might consider programming charts that are easy for the entire band, along with a few tunes that feature just brass as a section, or even individual sections. Our concert band has been doing this this season. Each concert will include one selection that features a section (just the trumpets, or french horns, or clarinets, or flutes... low brass are up for our next concert). This gives the other sections a rest and is a treat for the section that gets to play the feature. Then it's easy to pick something at an appropriate level for the featured section.
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